An Act relative to protecting domestic violence victims

This bill amends Massachusetts law to strengthen protections for individuals in their homes by establishing a "duty to retreat" for anyone who illegally enters a dwelling where others are present. Under the new rules, an intruder who fails to leave immediately after discovering occupants loses the right to sue or press criminal charges against the residents for any injuries that occur during the confrontation. The legislation also imposes harsher penalties for specific scenarios, such as a mandatory five-year prison sentence for entering a home with minors and a minimum twenty-year sentence for armed intruders who use force or threaten violence. These changes aim to deter home invasions and ensure that legal occupants can defend themselves without fear of retaliation from the intruder.