Getting The Story OutWe recognize that every minute counts when you´re on deadline. In your coverage of domestic violence issues/incidents, the expertise and resources of PCADV and its statewide network of 61 local domestic violence programs can help you save time, reduce legwork, ensure accuracy, and get your story out there quickly. Our Communications Team (contact information at right) will make every effort to assist you in:
PCADV Letter-to-Editor Regarding Recent DV Homicides January 15, 2010 Here we are, just two weeks into the new year and already 11 Pennsylvanians have died as a result of domestic violence. This comes on the heels of a stunningly high number of domestic-related fatalities last year. Early data for 2009 put the death toll at 198 women, men and children. We are deeply saddened by this extraordinary loss of life and extend our condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the victims, including State Trooper Paul G. Richey and Nancy Frey-Smith who were shot to death this week in Venango County by Ms. Frey-Smith´s husband, who later committed suicide. Trooper Richey was ambushed as he approached Frey-Smith´s home. Our statewide network of 61 programs has shared a close alliance with Pennsylvania law enforcement for more than three decades. We know firsthand the bravery of the dedicated officers who put their lives on the line every day, every time they intervene in dangerously volatile domestic violence incidents. They are the gatekeepers to justice and safety and are true heroes in every sense of the word. On behalf of all who died because of the violence, all who live behind closed doors with the violence, and all who work tirelessly to stop the violence, we call upon our political leaders to take measure of what´s happening and take swift action to put in place the resources and legal protections necessary for the safety and well-being of the citizens of this Commonwealth. Not one more life should be lost to domestic violence. Cindy Curran, Executive Director Peg Dierkers, Executive Director Deadly Wave of Domestic Violence Hits PA This Summer If anyone has doubts about the deadly nature of domestic violence, the cold-blooded murders that have taken place this summer in Pennsylvania should once and for all dispel the misperception that domestic violence is something less than a crime, nothing more than a "disturbance" involving couples or family members who fight with each other. Domestic violence is terrifying, brutal, and all too often lethal, not only for the person involved with the abuser but for others in proximity as well. Consider that from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 50 Pennsylvanians lost their lives to domestic violence. Of that number, 36 were victims. The other 14 were perpetrators who committed suicide or were killed by police. This string of horrific fatalities is a haunting reminder of last summer´s deadly wave of domestic violence in which 31 people died in 31 days in our commonwealth. This summer´s murders, murder-suicides, and suicides, took place in 19 counties. The details of each incident demonstrate a shocking disregard for life, a chilling pattern of premeditation, a reckless endangerment of children, and a compelling need for coordinated responses to secure protections for victims, to assure accountability for offenders, and to ensure that not one more life is lost to domestic violence. We know that domestic violence is excruciatingly complex – victims and perpetrators represent a diverse cross-section of society and their circumstances are as varied as their experiences. And while there is no one-size-fits-all solution or response, we also know that there are steps that can be taken to mitigate the risks and reduce injury and death.
We are asking you to join with us in mourning the lives of those who have been lost, supporting the families that have been left behind, reaching out to others who are living in fear behind closed doors, creating communities which prioritize and provide for the safety of all its members, and becoming agents of meaningful and lasting social change toward non-violence. We ask you to do it for the protection of your families… for the safety of your communities… for the well being of generations to come… and for all of the victims whose lives and deaths should never be forgotten. Pennsylvania Joins in National Census on Domestic Violence Services | Contact - | Pennsylvania Domestic Violence Fatality ReportsThe Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) publishes this report in an effort to convey the lethality of domestic violence and the stunningly brutal mannerin which perpetrators kill and victims die right here in this Commonwealth.
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Annual Fatality Report 2008