Month: February 2013

Press Release: SAVE Calls on Anti-Violence Groups to Renounce Shaming Campaign

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 27, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

SAVE Calls on Anti-Violence Groups to Renounce Shaming Campaign

WASHINGTON / February 27, 2013 – A leading victim-advocacy organization is calling on domestic violence groups to renounce the shaming attacks and misleading claims by groups claiming to be advocates for passage the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). SAVE, an advocate for services for all victims of domestic violence, says such unfounded accusations invite ridicule and serve to discredit the movement to curb intimate partner abuse.

The Huffington Post has previously criticized harsh attacks on House GOP leadership regarding the VAWA reauthorization as “incendiary and extreme” (1).

Yesterday a group called “Friends of VAWA Coalition” issued a press release headlining the Republican VAWA proposal as being “nothing less than shameful.” (2)

The release claims the bill recently proposed by House Republicans would “deny critical services to many victims.” But SAVE’s review of the GOP bill did not identify any provisions that would restrict services for any group. One Republican aide specifically stated, “The House bill protects all people from discrimination.” (3)

The Friends of VAWA Coalition also charges the GOP bill leaves Native American women “without vital protections” because it allows the defendant to request the case be transferred to a federal court to assure constitutional rights. But Senator Patrick Leahy, lead author of the Senate VAWA bill, has termed such a provision to be “reasonable; a middle ground position regarding tribal jurisdiction.” (4)

“As a woman, I’m saddened and embarrassed that groups purporting to be working for safe families would resort to such extreme rhetoric,” notes SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “These mindless attacks only reinforce the worst stereotypes about females.”

A recent report from the Independent Women’s Forum highlights numerous problems with VAWA (5). A national survey found two-thirds of registered voters favored major reforms to the Violence Against Women Act (6).

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

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PR: ‘Incendiary and Extreme:’ SAVE Deplores Vilification Campaign in Wake of Senate Approval of VAWA

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 13, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

‘Incendiary and Extreme:’ SAVE Deplores Vilification Campaign in Wake of Senate Approval of VAWA

WASHINGTON / February 13, 2013 – Following yesterday’s Senate approval of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), advocates for prompt passage of the bill in the House of Representatives have launched a high-pressure campaign designed to portray Republicans as unsympathetic to the plight of domestic violence victims.

Within hours of Senate approval of the bill, a group called UltraViolet issued a statement announcing its strategy in bold-faced type: “If we can spread the word that House conservatives are blocking legislation to reduce domestic violence because ‘it’s not fair to men,’ we can create a political firestorm no politician will want to get caught up in.”

A press release from the National Organization for Women claims a “radical fringe” controls the Republican leadership and that majority leader Eric Cantor would continue his “shameful efforts” to delay passage of the bill. The N.O.W. statement includes an emotional claim about daily “burnings” of women.

The Huffington Post has previously denounced the N.O.W. attacks on Cantor as “incendiary and extreme” (1).

Last week the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee put out an alert demanding that Senate Republicans “abandon their War on Women and fund the Violence Against Women Act.” The DSCC message did not mention the fact that Democratic and Republican bills have recommended identical funding levels for VAWA.

Numerous groups have questioned the effectiveness of VAWA-funded programs:

— Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy group for women, notes in a recent editorial, “VAWA has morphed into a series of rigid and ineffective law enforcement programs” (2).

— The Independent Women’s Forum’s Fact Sheet on VAWA warns, “The criminal justice approaches funded by VAWA may be harming the very victims they were intended to protect” (3).

— A recent report documents VAWA-funded restraining orders, mandatory arrest, and aggressive prosecution policies can increase partner violence (4).

“I’ve never seen this level of fanatical name-calling,” says SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “Instead of engaging in intimidation and bullying tactics, these groups should be thanking the courageous lawmakers who are willing to look at the facts, ask hard questions, and propose new ways to protect victims.”

Over 40 leading scientists and organizations have questioned VAWA’s ideological basis and endorsed major reforms to the law: http://www.saveservices.org/pvra/vawa-reform-principles/.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

(1) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/violence-against-women-act-eric-cantor-native-americans_n_2251924.html
(2) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/8/nance-why-congress-ought-ditch-vawa/#ixzz2KKZBAdoI
(3) http://iwf.org/publications/2790517/FACT-SHEET:-Violence-Against-Women-Act
(4) http://www.saveservices.org/2013/02/the-violence-against-women-act-is-a-deadly-proposition/

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PR: Ideology Over Science: Anti-Abuse Policies Put Victims at Risk, SAVE Report Says

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 11, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Ideology Over Science: Anti-Abuse Policies Put Victims at Risk, SAVE Report Says

WASHINGTON / February 11, 2013 – Widely used criminal justice measures intended to curb partner abuse are in fact placing victims at risk of violence, according to a research summary released today. Restraining orders, mandatory arrest, and aggressive prosecution policies are increasing, not decreasing partner violence, according to the SAVE report: http://www.saveservices.org/2013/02/the-violence-against-women-act-is-a-deadly-proposition/

Aggressive criminal justice policies are funded by the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and then implemented according to state laws. The SAVE report reveals:

1. Protection Orders: VAWA funds the enforcement of restraining orders, but they widely believed to be ineffective in curbing abuse. A review of 119 homicide-suicides in North Carolina revealed the issuance of a restraining order was the most common trigger for such tragedies, found in 41% of such incidents.

2. Arrest: VAWA funds mandatory arrest policies in 20 states around the country. Harvard researcher Radha Iyengar found that “intimate partner homicides increased by about 60% in states with mandatory arrest laws.” This translates into over 600 deaths each year.

3. Prosecution: VAWA pays $35 million annually to prosecutors who follow mandatory prosecution policies. But one 48-city study found prosecuting restraining order violations doubles the number of homicides among white wives and increases risk for other groups, as well.

The SAVE report terms the continued taxpayer funding of these harmful policies as “A triumph of ideology over science and common-sense.”

“What kind of crazy law purports to be about stopping abuse, but in truth is escalating tensions and discouraging victims from calling for help?,” asks SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “Taxpayers should be demanding a complete overhaul of these irrational domestic violence programs.”

Over 40 leading scientists and organizations have endorsed major reforms to VAWA and state-level domestic violence policies: http://www.saveservices.org/pvra/vawa-reform-principles/. The Violence Against Women Act is currently up for reauthorization in Congress.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

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PR: Penobscot Co. Woman Says Prosecutor Mary Kellett Employed Threats and ‘Bald-Faced Lie’ to Induce Testimony

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 6, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Penobscot Co. Woman Says Prosecutor Mary Kellett Employed Threats and ‘Bald-Faced Lie’ to Induce Testimony

WASHINGTON / February 6, 2013 – A Penobscot County woman has accused assistant district attorney Mary Kellett of lying in order to coerce her to testify in a domestic assault case. Michelle Sayasane has claimed that Kellett falsely represented that Sayasane’s husband, Keo, had murdered a previous wife as a legal tactic to coerce Sayasane to become a cooperative witness.

According to an August 18, 2011 article in the Bangor Daily News, Justice Kevin Cuddy learned that ADA Kellett told Mrs. Sayasane that her husband had been convicted in the 1987 stabbing death of his former wife. Kellett claimed the source of the information was deputy attorney general William Stokes, head of the Attorney General Office’s criminal division: http://bangordailynews.com/2011/08/18/news/hancock/blue-hill-man-seeks-case-dismissal-over-bad-information-from-prosecutors/

But Kellett’s statement appears to have been false. “Stokes said he never provided any information to Kellett that indicated that the victim in the manslaughter case was Sayasane’s previous wife, or even that the victim was a woman,” according the Bangor Daily News account.

In an article published earlier this week, Mrs. Sayasane revealed the reasons behind her reluctance: her husband “needed counseling, not jail, and I was not going to be a part of putting him there:” http://www.avoiceformen.com/feminism/government-tyranny/my-ordeal-with-mary-kellett/. Kellett responded by threatening to have Child Protective Services remove their children, according to Sayasane.

Finally, Sayasane relented and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution, even though Kellett allegedly caused “massive emotional distress on me and my entire family.”

“In December, a special panel ruled that prosecutor Mary Kellett violated seven ethical rules and recommended her license be suspended,” explains SAVE spokesman Steve Blake. “Michelle Sayasane’s latest account of prosecutor bullying and dishonesty reinforces the need for prompt action.”

Sayasane says she plans to file a complaint against Kellett with the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar for witness tampering.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

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PR: Leading Scientists and Organizations Urge Reforming the Violence Against Women Act: SAVE Calls for Prompt Congressional Action

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 5, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Leading Scientists and Organizations Urge Reforming the Violence Against Women Act:

SAVE Calls for Prompt Congressional Action

WASHINGTON / February 5, 2013 – A group of scientists, victim advocates, and 15 leading organizations have endorsed a series of reforms to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a law that is currently up for reauthorization in Congress. The endorsers include many of the acclaimed scientists who have elucidated the causes and dynamics of intimate partner violence.

The VAWA Reform Principles are endorsed by the Independent Women’s Forum, National Coalition for Men, Washington Civil Rights Council, 60 Plus Association, Able Americans, and many others. The endorsing organizations collectively represent the interests of a majority of the American public.

The Reform Principles address a range of documented deficiencies with the nearly 20-year-old federal law, including the need for greater emphasis on programs to address substance abuse, marital instability, and emotional disorders. The principles suggest a greater emphasis on partner reconciliation when it is safe to do so.

The principles highlight how VAWA has placed excessive attention on criminal justice measures such as restraining orders, which lack proof of effectiveness. The reforms call for the elimination of policies that mandate arrest in the absence of probable cause, an unconstitutional policy that was found in a Harvard University study to increase partner homicides by nearly 60%.

The Principles address other shortcomings with existing domestic violence programs. These include the need for programs to afford priority to victims of physical violence, for disseminating accurate abuse-reduction information to the public, and for instituting stronger accountability measures.

“For far too long, domestic violence programs have been based on gender ideology, resulting in programs that have been ineffective, unresponsive, and even dangerous to victims,” explains SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “We urge lawmakers to include these reforms in the Violence Against Women Act bills currently being considered in Congress.”

The complete list of Principles and endorsers can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/pvra/vawa-reform-principles/

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

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PR: Assistant District Attorney Continues to Prosecute Cases Despite Suspension Recommendation: SAVE Calls on Hancock County Commissioners to Take Action

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 1, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Phone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Assistant District Attorney Continues to Prosecute Cases Despite Suspension Recommendation:

SAVE Calls on Hancock County Commissioners to Take Action

WASHINGTON / February 1, 2013 – Following the recommendation of a panel to suspend the law license of Hancock County prosecutor Mary N. Kellett, Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) is calling on Hancock County Commissioners to exercise its duty to protect the public by immediately removing Kellett from her prosecutorial duties.

In 2007, Vladek Filler filed for divorce from Ligia Filler, eventually winning sole custody of their three children. Assistant District Attorney Mary Kellett became involved in the case because of Ms. Filler’s allegations of domestic violence.

Kellett’s conduct in the case prompted Mr. Filler’s attorney to assert that Kellett ignored exculpatory forensic evidence, Mrs. Filler’s recorded admissions, and her documented child abuse, thus using her prosecutorial powers to improperly take sides in a custody dispute.

Following allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard the case. In 2010 the Court concluded that Filler’s constitutional right to a fair trial was violated by Kellett’s actions and remanded the case for a retrial.

On March 29, 2011, Stop Abusive and Violent Environments filed a Grievance Complaint with the Board of Overseers of the Bar, detailing numerous examples of improper and unethical conduct by ADA Kellett.

Following a public disciplinary hearing in December 2012, a Panel of the Board of Overseers of the Bar issued a unanimous decision for the suspension of Kellett’s license for “conduct unworthy of an attorney.” The panel ruled Kellett violated seven Bar rules including undermining the administration of justice, withholding and suppressing exculpatory evidence, violating a court order, and misleading the jury: http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=mebar_overseers_discipline&id=464815&v=article

Despite court decisions, a two-year investigation by the Board of Overseers of the Bar, and a recommendation for the suspension of her license, Kellett has been allowed to continue her normal prosecutorial duties. Pending a final determination by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, SAVE is calling on the County Commissioners to promptly remove Kellett from her prosecutorial role.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner violence: www.saveservices.org