Lauren Estes-Velez

Hartselle Enquirer       

Attorney General Steve Marshall has called on Alabamians to observe October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by recognizing the terrible cost of lives lost and damaged as a result of domestic violence.

Observers are also urged to celebrate and honor those who have struggled and survived and support those who dedicate themselves to assist and advocate for victims of domestic violence.

“Public awareness is a vital weapon against domestic violence,” said Marshall. “This is a pervasive and secretive crime because offenders try to make victims believe the attacks are their own fault and use the victims’ affection and dependence to keep them trapped in a vicious cycle. Sadly, whether we realize it or not, all of us know people whose lives have been marked by domestic violence. Victims need to know that they are not alone, that they need not be ashamed and that they may be provided with justice.”

Nearly one in three adult women will be physically assaulted by a partner, but only one fourth of such assaults are ever reported to police, according to statistics from the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s webpage. Last year in Alabama, 18 percent of all violent offenses reported were domestic violence incidents, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Statistical Analysis Center. There were indications of domestic violence in 4,611 of all offenses, including 43 homicides, 238 rapes, 95 robberies and 4,235 aggravated assaults.

Victims can seek help by calling the ACADV crisis line at 1-800-650-6522 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Another available resource, called “Love is Respect,” has a hotline at 1-866-331-9474 or may be reached by texting “loveis” to the number 22522. The U.S. National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-4673, automatically connects to a local rape crisis program based on the caller’s area code.

A list of safe shelters and other resources is available through the ACADV website at http://www.acadv.org/get-help/shelters.

Marshall commended the valuable services of victims’ advocates throughout Alabama who provide information and assistance to domestic violence victims.

“Caring volunteers and professionals hear the cries of victims who were betrayed by those closest to them. It can begin with someone just listening and caring and then showing the victims a way out where they had felt trapped and lost,” he said. “Oftentimes, survivors may provide the strength and understanding to help others.”

Marshall also thanked the staff of the Attorney General’s Office of Victim Assistance, who work with victims and their families to provide information and help in understanding various steps throughout the judicial process. That office can be reached toll-free at 1-800-626-7676 or at www.ago.alabama.gov.

“It will take all of us working together to fight domestic violence,” Marshall said. “Friends and families, local community members, victims’ advocates, law enforcement and prosecutors – we all stand with those who need our help to survive and overcome, to see that offenders are stopped and punished and to remember and honor those who were lost.”