In the News

Domestic violence chief hails state
By Katy Jordan
S aturday, October 31, 2009

The nation’s first presidential [violence against women] adviser came to Boston yesterday to learn from the Bay State’s efforts to drive down the numbers of killings, beatings and abuse.

The newly appointed position - the first of its kind in the White House - was filled by Lynn Rosenthal, a longtime champion of victims of domestic violence, in order to help develop strategies to lower incidents of violence against women nationwide.

Rosenthal praised the way Massachusetts officials have worked together across agency lines.

“I was impressed,” she said of panel, which included prosecutors, advocates and law enforcement and public health officials.

“My job is really to make sure that we’re utilizing all of our resources and our capacities to address violence against women ... and this panel really tells us that collaboration is the centerpiece of all that is working.”

Advocates also cite increased public awareness and a boost in calls for help to rape crisis centers for the drop in Massachusetts domestic violence killings since 2007.

Yesterday’s event, sponsored by Jane Doe Inc., also addressed new obstacles to fighting sexual assault, such as deep state budget cuts to the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, which faces cuts of up to 30 percent in the current budget crisis. Last year, SANE helped 1,563 patients of sexual assault, 660 of whom were children, a program official said.