Domestic violence survivor center opens at courthouse

The Cook County Courthouse in Markham now has a space for people in domestic violence cases to safely file court documents and meet with advocates.

Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez and advocates held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to unveil the Domestic Violence Survivor Center on the courthouse’s lower level.

“To know that there is a place that someone can call home, at least during the most trying moments, this is it,” Martinez said.

“This is the space that we’ve been able to identify in the Southland area as a place for everyone that they can actually call home and be here and be in a safe place.”

The 2,260-square-foot center is the first of its kind in Cook County courts system, said clerk’s office spokesman Hugo Balta. Martinez hopes to open similar centers in the other district courts, he said.

The center has a reception area where clients will be greeted by clerk’s staff, Balta said. They will have access to about a dozen computers to begin filling out orders of protection and to meet either in person or virtually with an advocate for support, he said.

The space also includes a playroom for children, Balta said, so their parents can focus on the paperwork while their children have a safe space to play.

“The whole design is to provide privacy and provide a setting that is comfortable,” Balta said.

In Illinois more than 65,000 acts of domestic violence are reported annually, Martinez said. About 42% of women and 26% of men in Illinois

have reported acts of domestic violence, she said.

The data state officials have are only the acts of reported domestic violence, Martinez said.

Domestic violence victims do not report the abuse for a multitude of reasons, including religious beliefs, cultural traditions, social economic status and beliefs about gender roles, Martinez said.

“Domestic violence situations are common, but they are also often underreported,” she said. “The incidents of abuse are likely much higher while many victims fear retaliation and do not report the abuse.”

The center will partner with different advocacy groups to support victims of domestic violence, said Carmen Navarro

ALEXANDRA KUKULKA/DAILY SOUTHTOWN Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters, from left, Cook County Presiding Judge Tommy Brewer, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez and Anew Building Beyond Violence and Abuse CEO Jennifer Gabrenya cut the ribbon Wednesday at the Markham Courthouse Domestic Violence Survivor Center.