Group walks to remember
HOULTON, Maine — While awareness for domestic violence abuse seems to be on the rise, officials with the Hope and Justice Project say there is still a long way to go to before the issue is eradicated from society.
The Hope and Justice Project held its third annual “Talk it Up Houlton” on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Gentle Memorial Building. A small group of about 25 people gathered to listen to featured speakers and participate in a walk through downtown Houlton. Participants carried purple glow sticks to help raise awareness to domestic violence.
Leslie Gervais of the Hope and Justice Project in Houlton welcomed those in attendance and pointed out a number of storefronts have created displays in the area. Purple ribbons can also be found in Market Square in downtown Houlton and wooden markers displaying the names of victims are located on the front lawn of the Aroostook County Jail to further raise awareness for the cause.
“Our goal, as always, is to raise awareness and this year is no exception,” Gervais said. “The message this year is ‘It takes a community’ because it truly does take a community to hold offenders accountable. It takes a community to make people feel safe. And it takes a community to educate our youth and support survivors.”
Assistant District Attorney Kurt Kafferlin was the evening’s featured speaker and explained the process of prosecuting domestic violence offenders in the legal system.
“The justice system where I work is the end of a case and in many ways it is a poor fix to a problem that is pervasive in our communities,” he said. “There have been many positive changes in the justice system regarding domestic violence.”
Kafferlin said what was once a private dispute that was often kept inside the home has evolved and today the justice system views it as a more societal problem.
“We have seen changes in our laws over the years and changes in the bail code to protect victims of abuse,” Kafferlin said. “Basically the way things were done back in the day were to remove the abuser from the home for the night to cool off. Very little was done to ensure the protection of victims.”
Today, Kafferlin said, safeguards have been put in place and advances in the way law enforcement investigates reports of domestic violence have made it easier to prosecute in the courtroom.
“But the justice system can only step in when things have gone very wrong,” he said. “Really, it’s only us as citizens that can adequately address the issue of domestic violence.”
According to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence’s website, “Domestic violence is best understood as a pattern of abusive behaviors ‚Ä“ including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion ‚Ä“ used by one intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain, or regain power and control in the relationship. Batterers use of a range of tactics to frighten, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, often injure, and sometimes kill a current or former intimate partner.”
Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) evolved from the “Day of Unity” held in October 1981 and conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The intent was to connect advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children. The Day of Unity soon became an entire week devoted to a range of activities conducted at the local, state, and national level.
Hope and Justice Project staff members work with anyone who has experienced or been affected by abuse or violence in Aroostook County. For more information, visit their website at www.hopeandjusticeproject.org or email them at info@hopeandjusticeproject.org. To speak with one of their advocates, call the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-439-2323. Services are free and confidential.
