POST BY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MICHAEL RAMOS: October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Oct
11
Written by:
10/11/2012
Right now you're reading this post. Maybe you're in an abusive relationship. Maybe you know a friend or family member who is in a potentially dangerous situation. Either way, the main point I hope to convey is that help is available.
Last year our office filed 3,062 cases across the county that were related to domestic violence. Sadly, nine cases ended in murder. In order to better serve our victims we teamed up with the San Bernardino Police Department and the Mexican Consulate to educate the public about services and resources available to those who are in a potentially dangerous situation that needs attention. Over the course of the last three months our office has been working on a 15-minute educational video aimed at raising awareness on this issue. Today, we released that film in both English and Spanish.
Too often, our victims of domestic violence are scared to come forward. Scared to make the phone call. Scared of retribution by their abuser. Scared of the unknown that lies on the other side of current situation. These are all valid feelings, but it’s important to point out that nobody deserves to be a victim. Nobody. And if children are involved we need to consider the tragic impact that domestic violence has on them. Just a few days ago, a domestic violence call in Rialto turned deadly after a man accused of beating two women and shooting neighbors took his own life.
Sadly, we see these types of cases far too often across the county. Domestic violence knows no boundaries. It affects all walks of life. I started this post by saying maybe you're in an abusive relationship or know someone who is, so my charge to you today is to pick up the phone and take action before it's too late. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Call our victim advocates who are available to help. Call a friend or someone you trust because no one deserves to be a victim.
To view a copy of our domestic violence film in either English or Spanish, please click here.