"Safe at Home," Program Helping Abuse Victims, Will Start Taking Applications

The state is giving abuse victims a new option to make sure they don't have to see their abusers.

Victims will be able to mask their actual address with help from the state. It's something victim advocates have been asking for... and legislators approved the plan in a bipartisan vote last year.

Victims can start applying for the program on Saturday and the state will give them a fake address and instruct state agencies, like the DMV, to not publish a victim's real address. Mail will be forwarded to the victim's real address by the state. It's for victims of domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, stalking, and trafficking. Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel said this has some real life-saving potential. 

"In this internet age, it's very easy to find somebody if you log in and start looking for them. So the court information, all these places we've got to go in and make sure that address information is changed so you can't find them," Attorney General Schimel said. 

Victims will work with an advocacy group on safety planning and charges don't necessarily have to be filed against a suspect for a victim to receive this service.

More information can be found by clicking here.