For the first time ever, communities from across the country are coming together to share ideas to stop domestic violence. They are converging in Louisville November 8-10.
It comes after Kentucky scored an “F” on a report card that scores how well communities protect teens from dating and domestic violence. “Break the Cycle” ranks Kentucky at the bottom when it comes to accessible protection for victims.
“There’s no other crime that we require victims to bear or take the burden of prosecution,” says Judge Jerry Bowles, an expert in the field of preventing domestic violence. His courtroom is regularly filled with alleged domestic violence offenders. “We don't go in after a bank robbery and ask the teller if she really wants that case prosecuted. We prosecute that because battery is unacceptable and wrong and society is not going to tolerate it.”
Last year, 4,000 people walked into Louisville’s Hall of Justice asking for help. Sometimes they get it. But sometimes they don’t.
“Protective orders are not available to women or victims in this community if they haven't lived with their batterers, had a child with their batterers or married their batterers,” explains Judge Bowles.
Kentucky is one of the few states that doesn't allow those protective orders for dating relationships. In other words, if pop star Rihanna lived in Kentucky, she would never be eligible for a protective order against her admitted batterer - Chris Brown.
"It's a very helpless feeling,” says Judge Bowles. “…to know that the risk is no less than the previous case I've heard where the parties had moved in together or had a child in common."
It's a hole in the system that, Judge Bowles says, needs to be filled.
Marcia Roth heads the Mary Byron Project... named for a woman who was murdered by a former boyfriend 16 years ago.
“We must have crisis management, we must have good policies and procedures, we must have good laws, good shelters, good prosecutors, good judges,” says Roth. “But that can't be all we do."
From Mary Byron’s story, the VINE system emerged in Kentucky. The system notifies victims when their attacker is released from jail. Since then, that system has been replicated in 47 states across the country.
"It started because we knew we had a hole in our system that caused Mary Byron’s death,” says Roth. “Other communities looked at that and said we want to have that in our community."
It was a single program that worked. Now the Mary Byron project is looking for more ideas that will help those stacks of domestic violence cases disappear for good.
The first of its kind Summit to end Domestic Violence is happening here in Louisville beginning November 8th.
Anyone can attend to hear about programs happening all across the country and how you can get involved. It's all happening at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel through November 10th.
For more information, head to http://marybyronproject.org/NationalSummit.html
