Local Coordinated Response saves Life of Domestic Violence Victim

Trenton, NJ – Sandra*, who has two daughters, had a long history of abuse by her husband.  She suffered a skull fracture from the violence more than once and had other broken bones and numerous lacerations.  Sandra endured the abuse for almost twenty years, and had been told by a physician in the ER that if she had any more injuries to her brain, that these injuries could be fatal.  The family was well known to the local Police Department for incidents of domestic violence, as well as the response team at Womanspace, who had also responded many times. 

In terms of a coordinated response, the Chief of Police of this department called the Executive Director, to express concern for this victim and her children, and the very real possibility that this client would end up the victim of a domestic violence related homicide.  The risk for lethality for this client was extremely high.  A decision was made to meet and review the case.  The Executive Director and Response Team Coordinator met with a Lieutenant and the Domestic Violence Liaison from the Police Department.  In that meeting, the case was discussed and plans were made for future interactions with the family. 

These plans were implemented, which included actions such as charging the abuser with any crime possible which included assault, ensuring consistency in the response team members who met with the victim, ensuring child care was available to be with the children in the family which enabled the victim and response team volunteer to speak more freely.  After meeting with the response team following domestic violence incidents and building trust with the team members, the client and her two children entered Womanspace’s shelter, and then moved into our long-term transitional housing program.  The client was so impressed with the actions of the police department and had felt both protected and respected by the officers there, that she chose to move back to that municipality after her abuser moved out of the area. 

The client stated that the commitment of the staff and volunteer response team members as well as the police department, and their belief in her, convinced her that she might be able to leave her abusive husband.  The client reported that she needed some time after she entered our housing programs to begin to heal emotionally from the long-standing emotional abuse that had left her feeling completely incapable of living on her own.  The client also commented after she had been in the program for a few months that it was the first time in several years that she did not have any bruises.  The client's children, too, began to heal from the violence they had repeatedly witnessed, and expressed that they finally felt safe.  The family received several services, including housing, utilities, case management, counseling, financial planning, education, support, etc., all designed to assist the client to become self-sufficient and able to raise her children in a peaceful home.  The client has been in the transitional housing program for seven months, and said just last week this was the longest she has felt safe in almost twenty years.  This client would never have come to the shelter without the intervention of the police department and domestic violence victim response team-funded through STOP funds. 

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the clients.