[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           STOP THE VIOLENCE

                                 ______


                          HON. GERRY E. STUDDS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 30, 1994

  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join with my colleagues from 
the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues to work toward ending the 
state of emergency that exists for battered women and children in this 
country.
  Last year alone, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 29 women died 
from incidents of domestic violence. It is imperative that we include 
the provisions of the Violence Against Women Act in the final crime 
bill--it contains crucial funding for rape crisis centers, additional 
police, prosecutors, and victim advocates. In my own district in 
southeastern Massachusetts, the violence continues month after month--
these deaths tragically illustrate the need for decisive action:
  A 25-year-old Hyannis woman died of beating and stabbing injuries. 
Her husband turned himself in only 5 hours later.
  A school-teacher from West Barnstable was beaten to death by her 
husband of 18 years in their home. He then put her body in her car and 
set it on fire to hide his crime.
  A Plymouth nursing home worker, 42 years of age, was stabbed to 
death, allegedly by her husband, at the nursing home where she worked. 
They were involved in a custody dispute and her husband was on 
probation for a previous assault and rape. He also had a history of 
violent abuse against a previous wife and, incredibly, several 
restraining orders against him had expired because the police could not 
locate him.
  The city of Quincy has a nationally acclaimed domestic violence 
program--highlighted by everyone from ``60 Minutes'' to the National 
Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The Quincy program, 
designed by a creative district attorney, has a precourt approach which 
includes a computerizing police tracking and followup on all family 
disturbance calls by the DA's domestic violence counselors.
  Yet despite this state-of-the-art program, last year a 25-year-old 
Quincy woman was shot in the head by her sister's estranged boyfriend. 
He was angry over breaking up with the victim's sister and went to 
confront her with a gun. In the midst of his confusion, he shot the 
wrong woman once in the head as her finance and her 12-year-old nephew 
watched. The man then fled the United States and is considered a 
fugitive.
  We know that we are not doing enough to prevent domestic violence and 
that we must strengthen our commitment to ending the pain. I urge my 
colleagues on the conference committee to join me in sending the crime 
bill, including the Violence Against Women Act, to the House floor and 
to the President's desk. The women of this Nation--and their families--
cannot afford to wait.

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