DV national epidemic >fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast

DV national epidemic >fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast
Domestic Violence by Lis Wiehl for FOX Fan Central Scott Peterson, Mark Hacking, Neil Entwistle — their names have become synonymous with the word "monster." These cases of domestic violence captured front page headlines, and they also captured our attention, as if we had a personal stake in the cases. We did — and still do. When you think about the most dangerous place for an American woman, what comes to mind? Mall parking lots? Dark alleys? Seedy neighborhoods? No, no, and no. You might be surprised to learn that the most dangerous place for a woman in the United States is her own home. Domestic violence is the single biggest threat of injury to U.S. women — more than heart attacks, cancer, strokes, car accidents, muggings and rapes combined! Domestic violence violates the fundamental premise of a good relationship — trust. And it affects not only wives and girlfriends, but also mothers, children, and the elderly. This is one plague that doesn’t discriminate. It affects all women equally, whether rich, poor, religious, non-religious, black, or white. Not long ago, domestic violence went unpunished or unnoticed because domestic disputes were considered "family matters." The law followed the mantra that what happens at home, stays at home. Nicole Simpson, O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife, called the police to her house no less than eight times before her death. Eight times! What went wrong? Police believed it was a "family matter" and left the couple alone. Law enforcement didn’t get involved with family disputes, unless there were visible signs of physical abuse. So, a woman had to be cut up or close to death before someone paid attention. Domestic violence isn’t just a private "family matter." It’s become an epidemic — not merely a problem that’ll disappear. The numbers don’t lie. According to website www.woymkind.org, which sources a Time magazine article, an estimated two million wives are beaten by their husbands each year. That’s one every 16 seconds. The sad truth is that "big cases" on TV are not just tragic anomalies. We ask ourselves, "How did these women not know that their husbands were capable of murder?" But the real question we’re asking is, "Could this happen to me?" In the late 1980s, a few states began passing legislation to make domestic violence a crime. And if there is any silver lining from Nicole Simpson’s death, it is that it raised national awareness of domestic violence. After her death, domestic violence hotlines reported a huge increase in calls. How does the law protect us now? If the abuse is visible, the police can arrest the abuser and the victim can file for a protective order. Protective orders (also called restraining orders) are issued by the court and mandate the abuser to stay away from you, your home, your work, your school, or your child’s school. This gives women some recourse, instead of living in isolation with the abuse. But how much weight does that protective order actually have? After all, it is just paper; it doesn’t come with a set of handcuffs. Does it really protect you? In 2003, police found the body of a man and his girlfriend. The man had tracked down his girlfriend and shot her as she called 911, then he killed himself. Next to the woman’s body, police found a court order directing the murderer to have no contact with the victim. He violated the protective order four times before shooting her in cold blood. The restraining order wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. Abusers often defy protective orders, placing victims at high risk. Research shows that almost half of the perpetrators re-abused their victims after the issuance of a protective order. How do they get away with this? One officer says that officials frequently view protective orders as a civil matter associated with divorce or custody, rather than a criminal matter. But violations are a criminal matter and often a signal that "something worse is about to happen." Experts say investigators must review protection order violations case-by-case. In Orange County, Florida police methodically track protective order violations, viewing all cases as potential homicides, and the results speak volumes. Orange County has seen a 13 percent decline in the number of domestic abuse homicides from 1998 to 2003. Imagine the number of lives saved if other states followed suit. Oklahoma State Representative Ron Peters saw firsthand that protective orders have "no teeth." This meant one thing — abusers didn’t take them seriously, so the abuse continued. Peters wrote and sponsored a bill calling for stronger penalties for protective order violations. The bill is a step in the right direction, as it requires counseling, mandates follow-up hearings, and makes certain violations felonies with prison time. On January 5, 2006, President Bush signed into law the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, another positive step. This legislation supports and expands ongoing efforts to combat domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. These are promising advancements — but if we don’t require mandatory jail time, the progress falls on deaf ears. In the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, the woman kisses the beast and he turns into a charming prince. In cases of domestic violence, the scenario is flipped upside down. The "prince" she married transforms into the beast she feared. We need to have tough laws to protect her. Domestic abuse is not just a "family matter;" it’s a national epidemic. Lets make a woman’s home safe. It’s a matter of life and death. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,197801,00.html

June 26, 2008 Judge tells Neil Entwistle he will never be released and bans him from selling story A US judge barred Neil Entwistle from selling his story today as she sentenced the double murderer to life in prison without parole for shooting dead his American wife and baby daughter. Judge Diane Kottmyer issued the order after the jury heard that Entwistle, 29, an unemployed computer programmer from Worksop, was carrying a note when he was arrested at London's Royal Oak underground station about hawking his story to the highest bidder. Entwistle, who blames his wife for the killings, seemed taken aback by the judge's ban. Handing down sentence, Judge Kottmyer told Entwistle he would spend the rest of his life in prison for the murders of his wife Rachel and daughter Lillian in the four-poster bed of their home outside Boston on January 20, 2006. "These crimes are incomprehensible," she said. "They defy comprehension because they involved the planned and deliberate murders of the defendant's wife and 9-month-old child in violation of bonds that we recognise as central to our identities as human beings – those of husband and wife, and parent and child." "What is all too clear and easily comprehended is the magnitude of the loss and the pain suffered by Rachel and Lillian Entwistle's extended family and friends." Speaking to the many people in Britain who have followed the case, the judge said she wanted to make clear that Entwistle would never get out of jail. "As a matter of law, a sentence for first degree murder is an actual life sentence. Absent a pardon by the governor, there is no possibility of release from prison," she said. Priscilla Matterazzo, his former mother-in-law, excoriated Entwistle for trying to blame Rachel for killing the baby and then herself. "Our dreams as a parent and grandparent were shattered by the shameful, selfish act of one person, Neil Entwistle," she said. "For him to have tried to hide behind an accusation of murder and suicide by this beautiful woman and perfect mother is low and despicable." Flanked by her husband Joseph, Mrs Matterazzo told the court that her family had been sentenced to an "eternity of emptiness" without the "luxury of a trial by jury." Rachel's brother Jerome Souza, surrounded by family members, told the hearing: '"Each and every day we have the heartache of Neil's betrayals." Entwistle turned and smiled at his parents, Clifford, a Bassetlaw district councillor, and Yvonne, a school dinner lady, as he was led away to begin his sentence at the Cedar Junction Correctional Institute, a "supermax" high-security prison where the convicted British "shoe bomber" Richard Reid was once held. The Entwistles, who sat in the public gallery with Neil's brother Russell throughout the 12-day trial, continue to insist on their son's innocence. "We chose to respect America by not being dragged into pre-trial propaganda as this trial was for the courtroom only. Unfortunately, America did not respect us back and has not given our innocent son a fair trial," they said in a statement to the Worksop Guardian. The judge's ban on Mr Entwistle selling his story does not extend to his parents, who have hired a Boston lawyer to represent them in dealings with the media. The lawyer, Peter Parker, says he is not selling their story. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4219874.ece

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