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The Republican
December 5, 2007

Domestic violence deaths reach record

By PETER GOONAN and KEN ROSS
Staff writers

SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray yesterday vowed to tackle the problem of a record number of domestic violence deaths statewide.

"We are concerned with the trends in domestic violence deaths," Murray said yesterday, following a meeting on domestic violence held at Holyoke Community College.

Murray was in Western Massachusetts for two events. Early yesterday, he served as keynote speaker for the sixth annual Business Partnership Breakfast, held at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. Murray later attended a meeting at Holyoke Community College of the Governor's Council to Address Sexual and Domestic Violence.

So far this year, there have been 38 domestic violence-related murders and 12 suicides by perpetrators of domestic violence statewide, according to Jane Doe Inc., a nonprofit organization also known as the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.

The previous record year was 2004, when 34 people were killed in domestic violence-related incidents and nine perpetrators of domestic violence committed suicide.

The governor's council met yesterday for two hours behind closed doors at HCC. The meeting was the first for the 30-member council, appointed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick.

"We met today and got some feedback on different programs that have been effective," Murray said.
The recent spike in domestic violence deaths raised concerns for council members at the meeting.

"We have to get better at assessing lethality," said the council's executive director, Sheridan L. Haines, adding there are often "some very tell-tale signs" for the potential for such lethal attacks.

Council member Marianne Winters, a Springfield resident and director of the Everywoman's Center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, agreed."That's just the tip of the iceberg," she said.

The council's next meeting will be Jan. 17 in Boston. The council plans to offer preliminary recommendations to the governor on ways to curb domestic violence by March, Murray said.

"We want to have a comprehensive approach," he said.

The new council is the first under Patrick's administration, Winters said. Similar councils have existed under previous governors since the administration of Gov. William F. Weld, who served from 1990 to 1997.

Earlier, Murray was keynote speaker at an event honoring Springfield's Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and its partners for bridging the gap between at-risk youth and their families.

At the breakfast, titled "Celebrating Public and Private Partners that Work," Murray cited the governor's commitment to Springfield's success and partnership on many fronts, including economic development and law enforcement initiatives.

He gave examples such as the governor's decisions to reopen a satellite office in Springfield; to commit funds for a regional firefighting training center; to give funding assistance for a new homeless center; and to hire additional police officers.

Murray, along with other guest speakers U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and Springfield Mayor Charles V. Ryan, stressed the importance of the community center, its board of directors and supporters in addressing the needs of youth and families.

"You are partners with state government - certainly your work on housing and food assistance programs, your work with homelessness and families, your work with young people ... in trying to provide them with structure and guidance," Murray said.