Office of the Attorney General Calls Attention to Domestic Violence Prevention during October

OAG Participating in Several Events to Mark Domestic Violence Awareness 

Washington, DC – The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October with several events to educate the public on the problem of domestic violence. Domestic Violence Awareness Month began in 1987 and is a nationwide observance that galvanizes the public to fight domestic violence in multiple forms (including spousal abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, intimate partner violence, and other forms of domestic abuse).

“Domestic abusers’ biggest allies are fear and shame – and key to fighting domestic violence is helping its victims emerge from the shadows and take proactive steps to secure their own futures,” Attorney General Karl A. Racine said. “The Office of the Attorney General plays an important role in assisting those who have suffered abuse, and we are taking advantage of this month’s focus to raise awareness about the issue.”

In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2015, Attorney General Racine and other OAG representatives are participating in a number of events:

  • Monday, October 19: Assistant Attorney General Tonya Turner speaks at a National Bar Association Greater Washington Chapter program called “Why Black Women Stay” (more information: http://gwacbar.org/meetinginfo.php?id=115&ts=1444675461);
  • Wednesday, October 21: Assistant Attorney General Sarah Connell speaks at the DC Bar Association’s “Domestic & Sexual Violence in DC - What the Law Says & What More Should It Say” panel program (more information: http://www.law.udc.edu/event/DVForum);
  • Wednesday & Thursday, October 21-22: Assistant Attorney General Connell serves as faculty at an American Bar Association continuing legal education class on “Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Representation”;
  • Thursday, October 22: Attorney General Racine and Assistant Attorney General Turner speak at an OAG/Rainbow Response Coalition discussion called “Show Me Love!!! A Robust Discussion Promoting Healthy Relationships in the LGBTQ Community”(more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/922162621172684/)
  • Thursday, October 22: OAG and partners observe Purple Thursday, a day to call attention to the problem of domestic violence by wearing purple (more information: http://www.nrcdv.org/dvam/node/144);
  • Wednesday, October 28: Attorney General Racine speaks about elder abuse, among other issues, at the DC Commission on Aging Retreat;
  • Thursday, October 29: Assistant Attorney General Roseline Guest will join a panel for a seminar titled “Gender in Public Interest Law” that is part of Georgetown University Law Center’s externship program. She will share with the students how her government position fighting domestic violence allows her to incorporate gender justice into her work.
  • Friday, October 30: Assistant Attorney General Connell will speak at a conference for DC Court staff and invited guests titled “Domestic Violence, the Elderly, and the City” addressing what services are available and how elder abuse differs from other types of domestic violence.

OAG’S Domestic Violence Section
OAG staff direct approximately 3,500 people every year seeking assistance at the District’s Domestic Violence Intake Center, which is located at DC Superior Court. The Southeast Satellite Domestic Violence Intake Center, located at United Medical Center, serves approximately 2,000 additional people. Both centers are a public-private partnership between OAG; the DC Superior Court; SAFE, Inc.; the Legal Aid Society; the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; and the Metropolitan Police Department.

Additional groups that partner to provide services at these intake centers include the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, Bread for the City, the DC Forensic Nurse Examiners, and domestic-violence legal clinics at the law schools of Georgetown, Catholic, George Washington, and American Universities

The four full-time Assistant Attorneys General in OAG’s Domestic Violence Section log approximately 1,500 court appearances each year. Annually, they prosecute approximately 250 contempt cases for violations of civil protection orders and seek civil protection orders on behalf of approximately 100 victims of intimate partner, family, and dating violence as well as sexual assault and stalking.

For Assistance
To seek assistance for District residents who have suffered domestic violence, call or visit one of the District’s Domestic Violence Intake Centers:

DC Domestic Violence Intake Center (at DC Superior Court)
500 Indiana Avenue NW, Room 4450
202-879-0152

DC Domestic Violence Intake Center Southeast (at United Medical Center)
1328 Southern Avenue SE, Room 311
202-561-3000