[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 165 (Tuesday, October 24, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2005-E2006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______


                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 24, 1995

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate domestic violence 
awareness month. Domestic violence is a serious problem in communities 
across our Nation. Research conducted by the Department of Justice has 
uncovered a disturbing fact regarding this type of violence, that women 
are just as likely to be victimized by someone close to them, such as a 
spouse or friend, than they are by an acquaintance or stranger. It is 
frightening that in a time when crime rates in communities across the 
Nation are on the rise, many women are not even safe inside their own 
homes.
  My home State of Minnesota has been on the forefront of the campaign 
to reduce the number of incidents of domestic violence. It was my 
hometown of St. Paul, MN, where the Nation's first battered women's 
shelter, Women's Advocates, began operating 25 years ago. Today, the 
Harriet Tubman shelter in Minneapolis, MN, is expanding its services to 
provide apartment living for women while they rebuild their lives. The 
State has also implemented a more effective arrest and prosecution 
procedure regarding domestic violence cases in an attempt to decrease 
dismissal rates and prosecute more offenders. I am proud of the efforts 
that all of Minnesota's communities, and their citizens, have made in 
the campaign to ensure that Minnesotans are safe from domestic 
violence.
  One organization in the Twin Cities aiding this effort is the Casa De 
Esperanza Women's Shelter. The shelter focuses on domestic abuse in 
Latino families, but its services are available to all battered women, 
including those who have been previously abused, and their children. 
Housing 22 beds, the shelter served 87 women and 118 kids last year and 
ran a number of community programs. Operating in west side schools, 
Casa De Esperanza offers an antiviolence training program for children, 
which works to curb the cycle of violence that inflicts many families. 
The program reached 160 children last year alone. The shelter also 
operates a number of advocacy programs to help battered women and their 
children receive other services they may need such as medical care. 
Casa De Esperanza, and its executive director, Gloria Perez Jordan, are 
on the front lines of the effort to help victims of domestic violence 
in Minnesota. Their efforts must be supported by a strong commitment 
from Washington to work to decrease incidents of domestic violence and 
to help those who have been battered achieve abuse-free lives for 
themselves and their children.
  Organizations like Casa De Esperanza are succeeding in the campaign 
to end domestic violence. However, there is still much work to be done. 
In Minnesota, 100,000 women use the State's battered women's services 
every year. The largest obstacle to be overcome is the silence that 
shrouds this abuse. Many victims of repeated domestic violence feel 
powerless to escape the abusive household and are unaware of the 
services available to help them.
  Others are afraid to confront their attackers or try to leave the 
household, fearing further abuse. Domestic Violence Awareness Month was 
established to heighten awareness of domestic violence, its effects on 
our community and families, and the services available to its victims.
  Informing the community about domestic violence, however, may not be 
sufficient to ensure that all victims of these violent acts are able to 
obtain the services they need. Another 

[[Page E 2006]]
reason to dedicate this month to the cause of domestic violence is to 
focus attention on the fact that current programs and facilities are 
not adequate to help all victims. Nation-wide, two-thirds of the women 
who seek help at women's shelters are turned away because of a lack of 
space. Programs that aid victims of domestic violence must be expanded 
so that all citizens have the opportunity to obtain the services they 
need to live abuse-free lives. We must not turn away from victims 
seeking assistance to build better futures safe from abuse.
  So far in 1995, 21 children and 9 women have died in incidents of 
domestic violence in Minnesota. By heightening awareness of domestic 
violence in communities across the Nation, we can step up efforts to 
ensure that all Americans live free from incidents of domestic 
violence.


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