Kalona man acquitted of domestic abuse

WASHINGTON — On Friday, Daniel Thomas, 33, of Kalona was found not guilty of Domestic Abuse Assault, Third or Subsequent Offense, a Class D felony after the victim left town to avoid testifying at Thomas’ trial.

“Domestic abusers have many forms of control that can cause a victim to not report,” Washington County John Gish said following the acquittal. “And in almost every single case where the victim decides to report the crime, they later lie about what happened, diminish the abuse, or altogether demand charges to be dropped.

“In this specific case, Thomas had four prior domestic abuse convictions, including one in Johnson County with the same victim. Despite his violent history, the victim refused to comply with a court’s order to appear at Thomas’ bench trial, and as a direct result, Thomas was found not guilty.”

Despite the verdict in this case, Gish emphasized that the Washington County Attorney’s Office remains dedicated to prosecuting domestic violence, even where a victim may have second thoughts about going forward.