[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 46 (Friday, March 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S3177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, for the past 2 weeks I have tried to 
come to the floor every day, whenever my colleagues would generously 
allow me a few minutes, to announce the realization of another 
component of our initiative to prevent violence against women, which 
the Senator from Utah has been a very, very strong leader in, the 
national domestic violence hotline. The hotline, which officially 
opened on February 24, signifies the realization of the key provision 
of the Violence Against Women Act, passed by the Congress as part of 
the 1994 crime bill.
  The toll free number--I have tried to announce this on the floor over 
the last several weeks--is 1-800-799-SAFE. This will provide immediate 
crisis assistance and counseling and local shelter referrals to women 
across the country, 24 hours a day. There is also a TDD number for the 
hearing impaired, and that number is 1-800-787-3224.
  Today, on the last day of the 2-week period in which I promised to 
highlight the hotline, I want to take the opportunity to stress how 
much work still has to be done to fight domestic abuse in our country. 
On Tuesday of this week, the chief prosecutor in Alexandria, VA, John 
Kloch, called for tougher strategies against domestic violence in 
response to a murder of a local schoolteacher, Karen Mitsoff, who was 
killed early Monday of this week by an ex-boyfriend who had been 
stalking her.
  Miss Mitsoff's former boyfriend, Mr. Senet, reportedly broke into her 
apartment on March 10 and threatened to kill her and himself. Senet was 
charged with burglary and then released on a $2,500 bond in a routine 
hearing.
  This past Monday, 1 week after his arrest, he apparently broke into 
Miss Mitsoff's apartment and fatally shot her before killing himself. 
Commonwealth Attorney Kloch was quoted as saying:

       This case shows that there are holes in the system. Somehow 
     we failed to stop this. This case clearly illustrates that in 
     many instances, potential threats to women are not addressed 
     with enough urgency.

  Let me explain just how urgent these threats to the safety of women 
and children are.
  Every 12 seconds, a woman is beaten by a husband, boyfriend, or 
partner in the United States of America--every 12 seconds;
  Over 4,000 women are killed every year by their abuser;
  Every 6 minutes in our country, a woman is forcibly raped;
  Severe repeated violence occurs in 1 out of every 14 marriages, with 
an average of 35 incidents before it is reported;
  Roughly 1 million women are victims of domestic violence each year, 
and battering may be the most common cause of injury to women, more 
common than auto accidents, muggings, or rapes by a stranger.
  According to the FBI, Mr. President, one out of every two women in 
America will be beaten at least once in the course of an intimate 
relationship. Let me repeat that. According to the FBI, one out of 
every two women in America will be beaten at least once in the course 
of an intimate relationship.
  It is estimated that the new hotline, that we have shown and brought 
out to the floor of the Senate as often as we could over the last 2 
weeks, will receive close to 10,000 calls a day.
  The first day I came to the floor to talk about the hotline, I shared 
a story told to me by my wife, Sheila, while she was speaking in 
southern Minnesota 2 days before the hotline opened. I would like to 
tell the story again of a courageous woman in danger whose story 
illustrates how crucial the existence of a national domestic violence 
hotline will be in saving the lives of women and children in danger.
  This woman had been living in New York with her abusive husband and a 
5-month-old child. Her husband had moved to New York following their 
marriage, and he kept his wife and child very isolated there. The 
husband was very controlling and made it impossible for his wife to 
socialize, to make friends, or have a job. He checked on her all the 
time to make sure that she was at home with her baby.
  In addition to beating her routinely and savagely, he took out a life 
insurance policy on her, so she lived in constant fear of being killed.
  This woman told my wife, Sheila, that every time she opened the 
apartment door, she was sure someone would be on the other side with a 
shotgun.
  Her husband had a one-time, out-of-town business deal. He left in the 
afternoon and planned on returning the following morning. After he 
left, she decided that it was her only chance to get away. Panicked and 
pressed for time, she called a local hotline number but found it was 
disconnected. She was devastated. She called the Legal Aid Society in 
New York City and was initially told that they could not help her.
  Out of sheer desperation, she persisted with Legal Aid and was 
finally given a local agency phone number. Calling the local agency, 
the woman informed them she wanted to return to Minnesota. They were 
able to access a computer and put her in touch with a battered woman's 
shelter in Minnesota in her hometown. She and her baby were on a plane 
the next morning before her husband got home.
  Mr. President, this woman was lucky; she was able to obtain the 
information she needed. But how much better it would be if that hotline 
had been up and running to give her the information immediately. 
Unfortunately, some women might not have the whole day to track down 
information. I think this shows how crucial a national network, like 
the hotline, will be for keeping women and children safe, literally 
saving their lives.
  So today, I ask everyone listening to honor the memory of Karen 
Mitshoff of Alexandria, VA, as well as all the other women who lose 
their lives every year at the hands of a husband or a boyfriend or a 
partner.
  I also ask you to honor all of the women who have been hurt at the 
hands of someone with whom they have had an intimate relationship. 
Chances are you already know one of those women --a coworker, a sister, 
a mother, a daughter, or a friend.
  I commend innovations like the national domestic violence hotline. I 
want to support more creative solutions to stopping this family 
violence. I want all of us to do that, Democrats and Republicans alike. 
But most important, today I want to remember Karen Mitshoff who lost 
her life on Monday, and remind everyone that these efforts to stop this 
violence in our homes must be ongoing.
  Mr. President, once again, at the end of this 2-week period, I want 
to one more time talk about the hotline number. The toll free number of 
the national domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE and 1-800-787-
3224 for the hearing impaired.
  Everyone has the right to be safe in their own home. Share the number 
today, those of you who are watching, and maybe you will help someone 
make themselves safe.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. HATCH addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coats). Under the previous order, the 
Senator from Utah, Senator Hatch, is recognized to speak for up to 20 
minutes.

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