Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence


			FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 13, 2002 OVER 200 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS & PROSECUTORS PARTICIPATING IN COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING INITIATIVE Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence sponsoring "Confronting the Crime" to enhance the investigation, prosecution and conviction of domestic violence cases (COLUMBUS) - More than 200 law enforcement officers will attend a comprehensive educational program to educate local law enforcement officers and prosecutors on best practices for the investigation, prosecution and conviction of domestic violence cases. "Confronting the Crime," sponsored by Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence's Legal System Task Force, is a one-day, comprehensive educational training session on Thursday, June 13 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Villa Milano, 1630 Schrock Road. National experts Lt. Mark Wynn, formerly of the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department, and Sarah Buel, Clinical Professor, University of Texas School of Law and co-founder of the National Training Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence will lead the training and are domestic violence survivors. Attendees will learn new strategies being used around the nation to prosecute domestic violence cases. Those include prosecuting without the victim testifying, treating the crime scene like a homicide in case the victim does not participate in the prosecution, responding to children at the crime scene, using technology to apprehend the perpetrator, using victim advocates, and cross examining reluctant victims. "These crimes are particularly destructive because we know that children from violent homes often become violent abusers themselves. In fact, 80 percent of violent juvenile offenders and adult prisoners come from homes where domestic violence occurred," said Abigail Wexner, Founder and Board Chair of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence. "There were 6,000 domestic violence cases in Franklin County last year. One out of every five cases my office prosecutes - about 20 percent - is related to domestic violence cases," said City Attorney Janet Jackson who also chairs the Coalition's Legal System Task Force. "Some days we arraign as many as 50 defendants. We need to do everything in our power to be successful when we prosecute these crimes." "Many of the defendants in these arrests have a past criminal record for violent crime. And we've seen specific cases where they are not just violent in their homes with their spouses or partners but with their kids, parents, co-workers and others that they think are in the way," said Deputy Chief John Rockwell, Columbus Division of Police and a member of the Coalition's Legal System Task Force. "This training will improve the way we investigate, prosecute and convict perpetrators." The Coalition focuses its work on five touch points - where the victim and societal institutions intersect - with task forces working to create systemic change. These task forces are: Business Community/Public Education, Faith Community, Health Care, Legal System and Victim Services. Founded in 1998, The Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence is comprised of leaders from businesses and organizations in Central Ohio committed to reforming our systems to stop the cycle of violence in our community. The Coalition's mission is to promote a community culture that supports victims and does not tolerate family violence Ð a pervasive crime that hurts everyone. The Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence is located at 700 Children's Drive in Columbus and can be reached at 614/722-5985.