Post by lace on Aug 7, 2006 19:29:20 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Aug 7, 2006 03:34 PM EDT
Nevada ranks second for deadly domestic abuse[/glow]
[glow=red,2,300]Nevada is second in the nation when it comes to deadly cases of domestic violence. Last year alone, there were 35 domestic homicides in our state and a much larger number of victims who are living with abuse.[/glow]
Experts say its becoming more common for those victims to change their minds about prosecution, in hopes that things will get better. They say there's a little-known problem when victims decide to look the other way.
Victims sometimes drop the charges, so their abuser doesn't have to go to jail. But what victims don't always know is they may end up behind bars instead.
"Most of them call the police simply because they want the abuse to stop," said Andrea Sundberg, SAFE House, Inc.
Sundberg says when she helps battered women, they usually want to press charges against their aggressor but in the end, she knows they may change their mind.
"The victims will decide that they don't want to go forward with the prosecution out of fear they could be retaliated against," said Sundberg.
This is a recurring trend throughout the country. Statistics show that American Women are victims of over five million cases of abuse every year and about 1.5 million of those women are raped or physically assaulted by an intimate partner.
Another trend is when victims decide not to press charges against their abuser. But Sundberg says this is a choice that may put more victims behind bars.
"If the victim chooses not to go forward with prosecution, they are a witness at that point. The state can say, we've subpoenaed you. You failed to appear on that subpoena. They can be brought back on contempt charges. We have heard courts that will bring victims, put them in jail as a material witness and then bring them from jail to testify at the hearing. Its our understanding that that's going to start happening more often in Clark county," said Sundberg.
Sundberg says city officials have started doing this because they want abusers to be held accountable for what they're doing, but when the victims don't show up for court, they're letting their abuser walk free.
"The victim will then - the next time it happens, because there is going to be a next time - they won't call the police, and then they won't be getting any help," said Sundberg. "We just want them to get help so they can make a decision that's best for them and their family."
Sundberg says the best decision to make is to get yourself and your children to a safe place, like SAFE House. Then she says, talk about what you want and make a decision. She says the choice most victims will make is to be safe.
[glow=red,2,300]SAFE House provides secret shelter for victims of domestic abuse 24 hours a day. Their hotline number is 564-3227[/glow]
www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5249950&nav=15MV
Nevada ranks second for deadly domestic abuse[/glow]
[glow=red,2,300]Nevada is second in the nation when it comes to deadly cases of domestic violence. Last year alone, there were 35 domestic homicides in our state and a much larger number of victims who are living with abuse.[/glow]
Experts say its becoming more common for those victims to change their minds about prosecution, in hopes that things will get better. They say there's a little-known problem when victims decide to look the other way.
Victims sometimes drop the charges, so their abuser doesn't have to go to jail. But what victims don't always know is they may end up behind bars instead.
"Most of them call the police simply because they want the abuse to stop," said Andrea Sundberg, SAFE House, Inc.
Sundberg says when she helps battered women, they usually want to press charges against their aggressor but in the end, she knows they may change their mind.
"The victims will decide that they don't want to go forward with the prosecution out of fear they could be retaliated against," said Sundberg.
This is a recurring trend throughout the country. Statistics show that American Women are victims of over five million cases of abuse every year and about 1.5 million of those women are raped or physically assaulted by an intimate partner.
Another trend is when victims decide not to press charges against their abuser. But Sundberg says this is a choice that may put more victims behind bars.
"If the victim chooses not to go forward with prosecution, they are a witness at that point. The state can say, we've subpoenaed you. You failed to appear on that subpoena. They can be brought back on contempt charges. We have heard courts that will bring victims, put them in jail as a material witness and then bring them from jail to testify at the hearing. Its our understanding that that's going to start happening more often in Clark county," said Sundberg.
Sundberg says city officials have started doing this because they want abusers to be held accountable for what they're doing, but when the victims don't show up for court, they're letting their abuser walk free.
"The victim will then - the next time it happens, because there is going to be a next time - they won't call the police, and then they won't be getting any help," said Sundberg. "We just want them to get help so they can make a decision that's best for them and their family."
Sundberg says the best decision to make is to get yourself and your children to a safe place, like SAFE House. Then she says, talk about what you want and make a decision. She says the choice most victims will make is to be safe.
[glow=red,2,300]SAFE House provides secret shelter for victims of domestic abuse 24 hours a day. Their hotline number is 564-3227[/glow]
www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5249950&nav=15MV