Cobb County Solicitor General Mackie Metzger and the solicitor general’s office victim advocate told viewers during a Smart Justice Works program that domestic‑violence cases entering the office have risen this year and that early intervention and local services are critical.

“Last year the solicitor’s office handled about 2,400 victims,” the office’s victim advocate said, and “we are already to 3,700 victims this year,” a year‑to‑year increase the program speakers highlighted as a key driver of their outreach work. Metzger framed the discussion around prevention, prosecution and services available to survivors.

The advocate, identified in the transcript as the office’s director of victim advocacy (the broadcast refers both to “Miss Victoroff” and later to “Serpa”), described common warning signs of abusive relationships: an early period of intense or “love‑bombing” affection, demands to enable phone location or near‑constant text responses, gradual isolation from friends and family, and emotional denigration that erodes self‑worth. “The most difficult and definitely the most dangerous is when she makes a decision to exit the relationship,” the advocate said, stressing the heightened risk when a survivor attempts to leave.

Speakers also discussed legal and procedural limits. The program explained Marcy’s Law, adopted in Georgia in 2018, provides victims the right to notice of hearings and custody status changes and to address the court; it does not permit a victim to unilaterally dismiss a criminal prosecution. The office described the tension prosecutors sometimes face when a survivor asks that a case be dropped and offered an example of a dismissed case where the survivor later sought help again.

Metzger and the advocate outlined services and programs the office uses and refers to, including a 24‑week intensive domestic violence intervention program intended to address offender behavior, temporary housing referrals via partnerships such as LiveSafe, and a victim advocacy/witness common room to reduce trauma on court days. The office said it has seven advocates, some bilingual, and a language‑assistance line for people who do not speak English. For local assistance the solicitor general’s office listed (770) 528‑8500.

The advocates urged more public education and empathy toward survivors and flagged trial challenges, notably defense strategies that focus jurors on a victim’s life to undermine credibility. Metzger framed believing victims and improving community responses as central steps to prevent escalation and reduce future harm.

The program closed with the advocate reiterating that the office will help people even when no prosecution is pending and with information about internships in the victim‑advocacy unit. Viewers were given the office phone number for assistance and were encouraged to seek help if they or someone they know is experiencing intimate‑partner violence.