Since the 1980s, October has been known as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It has become a time to honor the lives of those who have been lost due to domestic violence, celebrate those who have survived and recognize those who work in the victims’ services field.
This year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month has brought mourning for a different kind of loss. Not a loss of life but a loss of laws around domestic violence in Topeka, Kansas. This month, the Topeka mayor and city council voted to repeal the city’s ordinance against domestic violence, primarily due to money squabbles. They made this move as a counter to the decision by county officials last month to stop prosecuting misdemeanors, including domestic violence, when the crime occurred within Topeka city limits: http://bit.ly/nRf4V2.
“Suspects in Topeka domestic violence cases are leaving jail without being charged, and advocates for abuse survivors say victims are growing more scared amid a public squabble over who should pay to prosecute the crimes.” - Associated Press
This decision creates a scary situation for survivors of
domestic violence who are watching the perpetrators of abuse against them walk
free. It is challenging for survivors to find the courage and trust to engage
the criminal justice system in the first place. As a result, many survivors in Topeka
may never trust the justice system or their local community to assist them in
their safety.
While supporting domestic violence survivors does not seem
to be a priority at the moment in Kansas, the increased awareness around our
own region’s need to improve our response to and prevention of domestic
violence is heartening. Despite the financial troubles facing the
Portland-Vancouver metro region, our community has demonstrated that domestic
violence is a top concern and United Way of the Columbia Willamette is working
diligently with the community to address it. We have been working on a new Domestic Violence Initiative designed to
foster increased sector collaboration, improve violence prevention education
and get the word out about ending domestic violence through public awareness
campaigns.
Our community recognizes that when cuts need to be made,
they should not be done so at the cost of the most vulnerable members of our
community. Domestic violence survivors
are often extremely isolated from their friends, family and other social
supports. Our community is willing to rally around domestic violence survivors
instead of isolating them further.
I applaud our region’s continued efforts to increase
attention to the pandemic issue of domestic violence. Together we can ensure
that the survivors in our community never have to watch the abuser be freed to
abuse again due to bad budgetary decisions.
Join us to support survivors and work to end the abuse
before it starts. For more information
on our efforts please go to our website at http://www.unitedway-pdx.org/domesticviolence
Sarah McDowell
Community Investment Manager, Health and Wellness
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
