The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Domestic violence panel discussion debuts
A panel of experts gathered on the Geauga Lyric Theater stage in Chardon Sept. 29 to address domestic violence.
This first-of-its kind panel discussion, dubbed “End the Silence, Stop the Violence,” featured a representatives from law enforcement, the court system and domestic-violence victims’ advocated from around the county and state. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In his opening remarks, Geauga County Sheriff Daniel McClelland asked for community assistance, plain and simple.
“We need some help,” McClelland told the crowd of several dozen who attended the 1 p.m. event. “And I’m going to appeal to all of you. The message you’re going to learn today — carry it forward. Tell someone. Encourage someone.”
Specifically, McClelland said, if someone is aware of or witnesses a domestic violence situation, he or she needs to reach out to the proper authorities. Period.
“If you leave with one thing today, I hope it’s the first message I’m going to give you: Call us. We will stop the violence,” he said. “Law enforcement cannot be on every street corner watching everything. We need the citizens of our community to help us by calling.”
He went on to describe scenarios in which young children who don’t necessarily know how to call authorities and elderly citizens who may not be able to are often targets of domestic violence, so it’s essential for relatives, friends and neighbors to reach out to law enforcement when the signs of abuse become apparent.
McClelland talked about the resources available to victims and citizens who have something to report — from calling and even texting 911, to a new smart phone app called RU Safe? which allows users to discretely summon the level of assistance most appropriate to their situations, ranging from information and referrals to domestic violence hot lines all the way through making a 911 call on the user’s behalf when there is an imminent physical threat present.
He explained how the Sheriff’s Department responds to domestic violence calls and the “KnockKnock” convention deputies follow, whereby law
enforcement visits the homes of victims in the days following a domestic violence complaint to ensure their safety and lay eyes on their living situations to help stave off the feeling held by many victims that they’re alone.
“Being made to feel alone is often one of the tactics used by the perpetrators of these kinds of offenses — that you’re alone and nobody cares,” McClelland said.
He finished his part of the presentation by confirming the grim realities that exist even in what many consider to be a peaceful country setting like Geauga County.
“It’s true. We are averaging at least one domestic violence call a day,” McClelland said.
“People tend to think Geauga County is a nice, sleepy, peaceful place to be, and it is for the most part; but not for those who are experiencing domestic violence in their homes.”
He followed by saying that, “while that number sounds staggering, what concerns me is the number of calls we don’t get. So we encourage. We beg. We plead: If you witness domestic violence. Call. We can stop the violence.”
Geauga County Deputy Robin Taylor, the department’s domestic violence victim advocate, followed
McClelland’s presentation and talked about some of the misconceptions surrounding domestic violence, touching on some of the “off-color humor” that often surrounds the issue.
“Not all abusers wear white T-shirts. Not all domestic violence occurs in trailer parks and it doesn’t always involve family members,” she said.
Taylor talked about the complications many victims face in their lives which make it impossible for them to leave their abusers.
“Many victims just have to stay,” she said. “Some don’t have bank accounts. Some have had their vehicles disabled by their abusers. Some victims think they can protect their children if they stay.”
She said the same goes for victims’ pets but the victims are sometimes powerless to protect them depending upon the ruthlessness of their abusers.
“I’ve personally responded to a domestic violence call where an abuser bragged about hanging one of the victim’s cats from a tree in the back yard,” Taylor said.
Chardon Municipal Court Judge Terri Stupica talked about how protection orders work, what she does to ensure they’re followed and the fact that, over the years, unscrupulous
members of the legal profession looking to leverage clients’ complaints for a favorable outcome in divorce and child-custody battles have twisted the law to “trump up” charges against the opposing side.
“It diminishes the severity of the issue,” she said.
Also on hand were WomenSafe, Inc. Executive Director Andrea Gutka and Deborah Vaughn of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, who talked about some of the assistance available to victims of domestic violence, even if it happens out of state.
Although some organizers
of this first-ever panel meeting agreed they would liked to have seen more people in attendance, all agreed it was a step in the right direction toward dealing with the problem of domestic violence headon.
“My greatest disappointment was that there weren’t more in attendance,” Stupica said in a phone interview following the meeting.
“I understand it was during the day but I would love to have a re-do of it in the evening or on a weekend for the benefit of those who couldn’t attend on a Thursday afternoon.”
Geauga County Chief Deputy Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand, likewise, said he would have liked to see more people in the audience but that it was a positive experience.
“I think it went very well,” Hildenbrand said, adding that the overall theme of the event — that people need to report these things when they happen — was the most important takeaway from the day.
“It’s good to see that there are so many people out there trying to help the victims of domestic violence,” he said.
“And it’s good that there are people who are working to bring that awareness to everyone. We can help. We just need to be made aware of these things when they happen and people need to be aware that they shouldn’t ever be afraid to call. We can help. But we need to know.”
“If you leave with one thing today, I hope it’s the first message I’m going to give you: Call us. We will stop the violence,” he said. “Law enforcement cannot be on every street corner watching everything. We need the citizens of our community to help us by calling.” — Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland