In the News

Domestic Violence Deaths Prompt Action
Patrick Issues Health Advisory
By Christopher Baxter
Boston Globe
June 06, 2008

Declaring that "we have a public health emergency on our hands," Governor Deval Patrick yesterday unveiled plans to combat an alarming increase in deaths related to domestic violence.

Patrick, in issuing the first-ever public health advisory on the issue, announced his plans to bolster police training and ordered a statewide review to determine the cause of the increase.

Deaths related to domestic violence, which include homicides and suicides, have nearly tripled in Massachusetts during the past three years, from 19 in 2005 to 55 in 2007, according to Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, a nonprofit Boston-based network. There have been 24 deaths this year, Jane Doe officials said.

Advocates hailed the governor's proposal, which he announced at a State House press conference.

Mary R. Lauby, executive director of Jane Doe, said the governor's attention to the issue reflects its importance. "Victims need to hear from the highest voice in the state, from the highest elected official and his cabinet, that they understand," she said.
Specific causes of the rise in domestic-violence-related deaths are difficult to pinpoint, but economic anxiety and a lack of coordination among state agencies, the police, and community organizations have contributed to the problem, Patrick said. Several state offices will review the past three years of data to see if any trends emerge, he said.

Massachusetts has historically had lower domestic violence-related deaths per capita than most other states across the country, said Toni Troop, spokeswoman for Jane Doe. There is no evidence that the increase in Massachusetts is also occurring in other states or whether the numbers here are surpassing other states, she said.
Lauby said the crimes are more horrendous, citing the March 2007 case in Springfield when Hipolito Ortiz drove his two young children to the parking lot of the factory where their mother worked and set himself and his children ablaze. All three died.

"It seems like they are spending every last minute being brutal and torturing their victims, before physically killing them," Lauby said. "And it's unusual because the number of deaths keep going up."

Patrick's plan includes an update to law enforcement guidelines on responding to domestic crimes, as well as better training for recruits and a new curriculum to refresh veteran officers. Those initiatives will be paid for under a $1.3 million grant from the US Department of Justice.

Domestic violence policies in police departments across the state are outdated, said Randolph Police Chief Paul Porter.

"We've really dropped off in developing our training over the years, and this will give us that boost," Porter said.

Better police training isn't necessarily the solution, said Claudia Lopes, 25, of Dorchester, who has been in a shelter for 10 months since her son's father began abusing her physically. She said that her attacker became more violent after he found out that she had sought a restraining order.

"I was always scared to speak about it," she said. "And I was scared that if I did, it would get worse. I found the most comfort in the people I trusted, not the police, but it's different for everyone."

Many cases turn fatal with or without police involvement. Additional training will help officers make good decisions at the scene, hopefully preventing violence, said Lawrence Police Chief John Romero.

The program's success will be measured by the number of people seeking help from local resources before it is too late, Lauby said.

"If we see an increase in demand and more referrals, that will be an indication of success," she said.