On Thursday, June 5, 2008, Governor Deval Patrick issued a Public Health Advisory as part of
a statewide strategy to prevent domestic violence homicide. For a copy of the Advisory and resources, click here.

Jane Doe Inc. issued the statement below.

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CALL FOR CULTURE OF VIGILANCE TO HELP END TREND OF RISING RATES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES IN MASSACHUSETTS
Statement from Mary R. Lauby, Executive Director, Jane Doe Inc.

Today, Jane Doe Inc. was proud to stand with Governor Patrick, Lt. Governor Murray, Secretary of EOHHS Bigby, Secretary of EOPS Burke, DPH Commissioner Auerbach and DSS Commissioner McClain and representatives from the District Attorneys Association and law enforcement, in a demonstration of the power of multidisciplinary collaboration in addressing the scourge of domestic violence homicide in our communities.

Today, marked a new day in Massachusetts. A day that we can say started to turn things around for victims of domestic violence. A day where at the highest levels of government a commitment was made to forge even stronger and deeper collaborations with victim advocates. A day when batterers were told enough is enough.

The two domestic violence homicides this past weekend in Upton and Holyoke bring the total number of deaths so far this year to 24. These murders formed the backdrop to today’s events.

We applaud the Governor’s release of a Public Health Advisory and the call for people in all systems to consider their role in helping to identify victims and provide resources and referrals that can help prevent these homicides from happening. The updated training of police officers will also lead to improved practices to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable.

On behalf of our membership of over sixty community based sexual assault and domestic violence organizations throughout Massachusetts, we will continue to advocate for a culture of vigilance in addressing these issues until every victim in every community has access to the resources and services they need to stay safe. Jane Doe Inc. and our member organizations call for the following steps:

• We invite local law enforcement, health care providers and others to reach out and respond to local domestic violence programs and mirror this state level collaboration in local communities.
• We call upon the philanthropic community to help secure the resources to ensure that local services can conduct outreach, provide services, offer trainings and foster collaboration on the local level.
• We encourage batterers to seek help through batterer’s intervention programs, and we urge the courts to mandate these services in cases of domestic violence.

Jane Doe Inc. and our member organizations are ready and equipped to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners to accomplish these goals. Massachusetts is fortunate to have nationally recognized domestic violence programs, including health care based programs (e.g., CAP, HAVEN, Passageway) and culturally specific programs (The Network, ATASK, Kol Isha and other RISE programs) to meet the particular needs of these vulnerable communities.

Research and experience show that domestic violence homicides are predictable and therefore are preventable. The key ingredients to domestic violence homicide prevention are adequate, accessible domestic violence community based and shelter services and consistent accountability (e.g., arrests, parole, etc.) for perpetrators. It is critical for systems as well as victims to be made aware of the high risk warning signs so that life-saving information can be shared and for interventions, safety planning and accountability to take place.

The past 30 years have shown that adequate investment and alignment of practice and policy will help prevent domestic violence homicides and reduce the incident of domestic violence overall.

There is not one easy solution to this multi-faceted problem. The promise of today is the opportunity to engage people from every system, family, neighborhood and workplace in knowing that they can make a difference and help end domestic and sexual violence in their families and communities.

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For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Toni Troop at 617-212-7571.