<title>10-11-96: Presentation before the First
National Interfaith Breakfast: A Call to End Violence Against
Women</title>
1
1
2
3 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
4
5
6 A CALL TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN
7
8
9 JANET RENO
10 ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED
STATES
11
12
13 Hart Senate Office Building, Room 908
14 Washington, D.C.
15 October 11, 1996
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
2
1 P R E S E N T A T I O N
2 Thank you so much, and thank you
for
3 that warm welcome, but it is I that should
be
4 applauding all of you. I see people that I
5 have met in these last three and a half
years,
6 and I see people whose reputation has
preceded
7 them in these last three and a half
8 years, and I just admire the work that you
do
9 throughout this nation. Thank you.
10 And I thank you for joining us
today
11 at this first National Interfaith
Breakfast
12 devoted to the issue of violence against
women.
13 This breakfast is the culmination of
many
14 months of work by the Center for the
Prevention
15 of Sexual and Domestic Violence, the
National
16 Council of Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A.,
17 and the National Jewish Community
Relations
18 Advisory Council.
19 I know that I speak for us all
when I
20 say thank you so very, very much for doing
this
21 and for giving us this opportunity to highlight
22 this issue in this nation. I know that, as a
3
1 result of your work, breakfast and
other
2 activities are being held today in
communities
3 throughout the country, bringing
together
4 representatives of domestic violence,
and
5 sexual assault prevention programs with
their
6 local ecumenical and interfaith
groups.
7 I am honored that you have asked
me
8 to join you this morning to discuss some
of our
9 efforts at the Justice Department to
combat
10 domestic violence and violence against
women.
11 This has been a concern of mine since I
served
12 as State Attorney in Dade County, which
is
13 Miami's county, for fifteen years.
14 In 1978, just after I took
office,
15 our medical examiner called me and said,
"Why
16 don't you come analyze our cases to see
why
17 people have been killed in the county in
the
18 previous 20 years? We have good records."
19 We asked the University of
Miami
20
interns to volunteer, and together we analyzed
21 the records, and forty percent of the
homicides
22 were related to domestic violence,
ex-spouse,
4
1
boyfriend-girlfriend, husband and wife.
2 And we focused through an LEAA
grant
3 in developing a domestic intervention
program.
4 At that time, police weren't that
interested,
5 they
just referred to the case as, "That's a
6 domestic." Judges weren't that interested:
7 They were happy when the woman wanted to
drop
8 the case.
9 But we tried to persevere
in
10
developing a domestic violence unit, and I had
11 a policy that said you don't drop the
case
12 unless I have a chance to speak to the
victim.
13 And so, for fifteen years I spoke to a lot
of
14 victims.
15 And the pain and the terror and
the
16 heartbreak and the abasement will live
with me
17 for the rest of my life. It is a prison worse
18 than any prison you can put people
in. And it
19 made me convinced that this was an effort
that
20 must be developed across the
country.
21 I am happy to tell you that, by
the
22 time I left, there were only a couple of
judges
5
1 that didn't take their cases seriously,
and
2 police departments were beginning to
galvanize
3 around the issue.
4 But we must do it across the
country
5 because it is not just a large urban
area. I
6 go to Iowa or to Kentucky and talk
to
7 representatives from small towns or just
rural
8 counties, and they tell me the same problem.
9 And it is more acute in that distant
Iowa
10 county because they don't have access to
shelters.
11 They don't have access to
counselling. It is
12 more difficult, and they are more
alone.
13 So, wherever we are in this
great
14 country, this is an area that we must
focus on.
15 But it is not just domestic violence; it
is
16 sexual assault against women. We were
17 fortunate to have a marvelous rape
treatment
18 center in Miami, one of the first and best
in
19 the nation.
20 But, again, to sit with victims,
to
21 feel their pain, to have some
understanding,
22
after hearing from one victim after another,
6
1 what it was like, it is so important that
we
2 focus our efforts as we do this
morning.
3 But the solutions to
domestic
4 violence and violence throughout our
society
5 are not going to be found by prosecutors
alone
6 or by police alone or social workers
or
7 religious leaders working just by
themselves.
8 The answer is going to be found
only
9 when all of us are a part of this effort,
and
10 it is vitally important that the
religious
11 community be a part of it.
12 One of the reasons it is so
important
13 is so many women have told me, "I
didn't know
14 who to go to. My doctor, after he finished
15 putting in the stitches, didn't want to
talk
16 about it.
I didn't know who to go to."
17 And one's church, one's temple
may be
18 the best way for people to open the door
to a
19 new world for themselves. It is only when all
20 of us are involved that we can build a
seamless
21 system of care, a multi-faceted system
that
22 brings police and prosecutors, health
care
7
1 professionals and social workers,
educators,
2 employers, and religious leaders together
at
3 the same table and in the lives of victims
or
4 potential victims, sharing ideas and
5 perspectives and working together to
find
6 answers to the problem.
7 One of the great challenges we
face
8 today is to bring even more people into
the
9 effort, to increase the number of
Americans who
10 are willing to stand up and work for an
end to
11 domestic violence and other forms of
violence
12 against women.
13 As you know, for the second year
in a
14 row, President Clinton has named October
as
15 National Domestic Violence Awareness
Month.
16 During this month, efforts are under
way
17 throughout our country to increase
the
18 awareness of women at risk of the
resources
19 available to them, and, perhaps just
as
20 importantly, efforts are under way to
educate
21 all Americans about this issue and the
ways
22 they can make a contribution to ending
the
8
1 violence.
2 It is so gratifying to see men
across
3 this nation standing up and saying,
"We want to
4 work with you," and telling us it
isn't going
5
to work unless we are part of the team.
It is
6 so gratifying for me, and I am
deeply
7 appreciative.
8 Last week, as part of
domestic
9 violence awareness month, I released a
new
10 community check list prepared by the
members of
11 the Advisory Council on Violence Against
Women,
12 a group of leaders from the public and
private
13 sector who have worked for the past year
and a
14 half to help implement the
Violence Against
15 Women Act.
16 Marie Fortune represents
the
17 religious community on the Council, and
she has
18 done a wonderful job bringing together
some
19 concrete recommendations on what can be
done
20 within the religious community to
highlight the
21 issue of domestic violence and to provide
real
22 assistance to families who are in
need.
9
1 I hope you will take an
opportunity
2 to review the recommendations included in
the
3 community checklist. They include ideas for
4
making churches, synagogues, mosques, and
5 meeting halls safe places for women who
are
6 abused, ideas for educating members of
your
7 congregations, and ideas for working with
other
8 interested members of your community
to
9 highlight the importance of this
issue.
10 The work that council has
done,
11 Marie, has just been extraordinary. It is
12 wonderful to have business leaders,
religious
13 leaders, the head of the ABA, the head of
the
14 AMA, sitting around a table, and telling
Donna
15 Shalala and me, "Okay, now, these are
good
16 ideas, what are you going to do about them?"
17 So, as I prepare for the next
council
18 meeting, I am saying, "Okay what have
we done?
19 I am not going back there until I have
proved
20 to them what we have done."
21 If there are things that we can do
to
22 help you, all you have to do is to let us
know.
10
1 I know that Bonnie Campbell and the
Violence
2 Against Women office, our U.S. Attorneys
and
3 their staffs, the FBI and other law
enforcement
4 officials in the Federal Government would
be
5 happy to work with local officials
and
6 religious leaders to highlight the
seriousness
7 of domestic and sexual violence and
our
8 commitment to end it.
9 There are 93 U.S. Attorneys in
this
10 country.
When I first became involved in the
11
criminal justice system, I thought that they
12 prosecuted bank robberies. Then I thought that
13 they prosecuted drug cases, but I thought
that
14 they could be a marvelous force for good
on so
15 many
different fronts, including our efforts in
16 violence against women. And they can be a
17 great ally for you in your district.
18 Throughout October, in
communities
19 all across America, activities are planned
in
20 union halls and school auditoriums, in
board
21 rooms and community centers, in public
squares
22 and in places of worship to call attention
to
11
1 the problem of domestic violence.
2 Something exciting is
happening
3 because of the efforts of people in this
room,
4 because of so many others working across
the
5 country.
When the Kentucky legislature,
6 Republicans and Democrats, asked me to
address
7 them to talk about domestic violence and
greet
8 me with bipartisan support and
congratulations,
9
you know there is something happening across
10 this country.
11 When Republicans and Democrats
come
12 together, when people from all walks of
life
13 start saying, "What can we do about
it?" you
14 know that our efforts are beginning to
work,
15 but we can't stop now. We must do so much
16 more.
17 Last week, I was in Cleveland,
Ohio,
18 where I met with members of three
different bar
19 associations who have joined together
to
20 provide assistance to women who come
from
21 violent homes. At 2:00 on a weekday afternoon,
22 when they could be putting in billable
hours or
12
1 drawing fees, there were approximately
100
2 lawyers in that room finding out how they
could
3 volunteer to assist and support victims
of
4 domestic violence.
5 Later in the week, I spoke at
the
6 Justice Department's second annual
domestic
7 violence information fair. Again, I was struck
8 by the willingness of so many people to
sit in
9 the Great Hall of the Department of
Justice and
10 talk to people who came to their section
to
11 give them information on their aspect of
what
12 can be done about domestic violence.
13 There is an energy, there is
an
14 excitement across this land. We are also
15 seeing an increased realization within
the
16 business community that they can be a
partner
17 in this effort.
18 The word is spreading from
companies
19 such as Marshalls and Polaroid and Aetna
to
20 companies around the nation that the work
place
21 can be an important resource for women who
are
22 at risk.
13
1 And this is an important
partnership
2 for the religious community to
consider. I
3 knew
from my own experience that the victims of
4 domestic violence were often sought in the
work
5 place, that the impact of domestic
violence was
6 felt in the work place. It is exciting to see
7 employee assistant professionals who
are
8 working together with our office to
develop
9 programs to focus on what can be
done.
10 Many battered women are working,
and
11 while they cannot go to the police or to
the
12 hospital because they are afraid, they do
go to
13 work.
They need colleagues and supervisors who
14 understand their situation and support
their
15 efforts to protect themselves and
their
16 families.
17 At the Justice Department, we
are
18 working to ensure that all of our
employees
19 have access to information and resources
that
20 can be of real help. In addition to our annual
21 information fair, we also distributed
a
22 resource book.
14
1 We include the National
Domestic
2 Violence hot line number, 1-800-799-SAFE
or TDD
3 1-800-787-3224, in our monthly
newsletter,
4 "Justice For All," and we
recently created a
5 violence against women home page on
the
6 Internet.
7 The Justice Department is acting
as a
8 resource and a partner for state and
local
9 enforcement as we implement the
Violence
10 Against Women Act. We are prosecuting
11 batterers who cross state line to avoid
state
12 prosecutions.
13 We are providing hundreds of
millions
14 of dollars and grants to the states for
hiring,
15 and training new police and prosecutors and
16 victim's advocates. We are funding grants for
17 abused women and children in rural America
and
18 grants to encourage mandatory arrest
policies
19 for the primary aggressor in domestic
abuse
20
cases.
21 We are making a real effort
to
22 improve the criminal justice system's
ability
15
1 to deal effectively with domestic violence. I
2 have seen what it is like to have a
3 well-meaning, insensitive prosecutor
handle a
4 domestic violence case, and it isn't a
pretty
5 sight.
6 What has been so touching,
though, is
7 to see in those fifteen years that I
served as
8 a prosecutor, a minister or member of
the
9 victim's church come with them. Before I have
10 gotten to the case to hear how oafish
the
11 prosecutor had been, the minister had
already
12 told him or her how to do it a little
bit
13 better.
14 We can do so much if we
perform
15 partnerships like that, inform them, and
if we
16 stand up for the victims. I know from speaking
17 with police chiefs throughout the country
that
18 they often find domestic violence
incidents to
19 be the most dangerous and difficult
encounters
20 they experience on the job.
21 We are helping local departments
hire
22 new officers who will use the proven
methods of
16
1
community policing to focus exclusively on
2 domestic violence, and I have had a chance
to
3 meet with community police officers across
this
4 nation, people who have come to know
their
5 neighborhood, the churches in the
neighborhood,
6 the religious leaders, the citizens, the
people
7 who care, the teachers. We can do so much if
8 we form alliances to focus on the people
in our
9 neighborhood and put them first, all
the
10 people.
11 We have got to make sure that
they
12 know where to go, and, again, the
religious
13 community can do so much. We are also helping
14
to develop training programs for judges and
15 victims' advocates and others.
16 We are developing domestic
violence
17 workshops, and programs with such
organizations
18 as the National District Attorney's
19 Association, the Police Executive
Research
20 Forum, and the International Associations
of
21 Chiefs of Police.
22 We are funding a pilot project
to
17
1 serve as a testing ground to ensure
that
2 protective orders are given full faith
and
3 credit by police and courts in every
state.
4 This nation is on the move. It is so
5 frustrating and was so frustrating for me
to
6 see a women move from another state to
Miami,
7 terrified, and she'd come to me and say,
"Here
8 is my protective order," and I would
say, "I can't
do
9 anything with it. We are going to have to file
10 a new one." "But he may already
be here, what
11 am I going to do?"
12 It is important that we develop
in
13 the criminal justice system
a network across
14 the country that will let that one,
first
15 protective order be the key for what the
rest of the
16 nation requires.
17
18 But as this nation is on the move,
19 whether it be domestic violence or
other
20 issues, it is so important that the
religious
21 community help to contribute to that
network
22 and that those persons, as they move,
sometimes
18
1 move in fear, are given the names of a
church
2 or religious leaders that they can go to
in the
3 community where they are going that gives
them
4 a welcome.
5 Miami was the destination of an
awful
6 lot of people on the move, travelling not
quite
7 knowing where they were going, adrift when
they
8
got there. The more we can do to
make America
9 have the sense that it comes home, the
better
10 we are.
11 In all of these efforts, we
are
12 working as partners, and as partners we
are
13 making progress. There are so many networks.
14 Look at the parks and recreation
specialists in
15 the park across the street from you. Join
16 forces with him in terms of focusing on
what
17
can be done when that child comes into the park
18 and confides to him about what is
happening at
19 home.
Look at the school teacher who so often
20 doesn't know what to do when the child
comes to
21
school in tears and finally blurts out what is
22 happening.
19
1 The general practitioner in
the
2 community down the block, for so long he
just
3 sewed up the wound, and he didn't do
anything
4 more.
Sit down and talk with him about
5 domestic violence, or her, and find out
what
6 they do when a victim comes to them.
7 We can't just sew up the
wound
8 anymore.
We have got to sew up the spirit.
9 Today is the anniversary of the
birth
10 of Eleanor Roosevelt. She was fond of saying
11 that it is better to light a candle than
to
12 curse the darkness.
13 We know the truth of that
statement
14 in the struggle to end domestic
violence. In
15 so many ways, candles are being lit today,
and
16 the darkness is finally receding for
countless
17 thousands of women across this land.
18 Women and families who have
lived
19 with the fear and the danger of
domestic
20 violence and sexual assault are finding
the
21 strength and the support they need to
survive.
22 This morning's breakfast is
a
20
1 starting point for the work that will
continue
2 in the months and years ahead. Our joint
3 efforts will ensure that the light of
those
4 candles will glow until every women living
in
5 the shadow of violence finds her way to
safety.
6 Working together, there is so
much
7 that we can and will do to bring an end
to
8 domestic and sexual violence. But even then,
9 some people tell me, "Ms. Reno, you
are a nice
10 lady, and you are well meaning, but the
job is
11 just too big."
12 And I will take issue with
those
13 people for the rest of my life because
for
14 three and a half years I have had a chance
to
15 visit with the people of this nation,
the
16 rabbi, the minister, the doctor, the
plumber,
17 the unemployed, the kid in the
detention
18 facility, the victims.
19 And never, ever have I felt
so
20 confident of the future of this
nation. Never,
21 ever have I had such faith in the strength
and
22 the courage and the spirit of the people
of
21
1 this nation. And much of the credit for that
2 is due to the religious community, who
through
3 so much has reached out to bring
America
4 together.
Thank you for all that we do.
5 (Whereupon, at 8:25 a.m.,
the
6 PRESENTATION was
adjourned.)
7 * *
* * *
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22