Chester County courts processed 670 new protection-from-abuse orders in 2025, accounting for 1.6% of the 41,597 PFA petitions filed statewide, according to data from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
The figures, first reported by the Daily Local, arrived during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and put a local number on a problem Chester County officials have pledged to confront.
Statewide, new PFA filings decreased by less than 1% from 2024, state court officials said. Three southeastern Pennsylvania counties ranked in the top 10: Delaware County led the region with 2,047 orders, followed by Berks County at 1,803 and Montgomery County at 1,756.
Philadelphia topped the list at 7,864 orders, or 19% of the state total. Allegheny County was second with 4,104.
Chester County's 670 orders fell below those of its neighbors. A protection-from-abuse order, or PFA, is a civil court order that can require an abuser to have no contact with the victim, relinquish weapons and leave the victim's home, according to state court officials.
The numbers carry weight locally.
In coverage published in early October, District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe stressed the lasting impact of domestic violence on the county. "Domestic violence has a lasting impact on victims, families, and our entire Chester County community," de Barrena-Sarobe said, according to the Daily Local.
The Chester County Board of Commissioners proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month at an Oct. 7 meeting. Commissioner Marian Moskowitz said the county has a responsibility to support survivors and address abuse.
The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County, a West Chester-based nonprofit founded in 1976, provides counseling, housing, legal assistance and education to survivors. CEO Colly Wideman-Scott and board of trustees president Yasoda Sharma attended the commissioners' proclamation.
Residents seeking help can call the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County at 1-888-711-6270. The Crime Victims' Center of Chester County hotline is 610-692-7273. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 800-799-7233 or by texting 88788.
PFA petitions can be filed at a local Court of Common Pleas without a lawyer. More information is available through the Pennsylvania courts' protection orders page.
