DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS ISSUES RAISED

HARRISBURG, OCT. 18 – State Sen. Connie Williams called on her colleagues to make the upcoming 2007-08 Legislative Session the session when Pennsylvania gets really tough on domestic violence.

Williams participated in a Capitol news conference and rally today to draw attention and raise awareness to domestic violence. The event was sponsored in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.

"So here we are again," Williams said in beginning her remarks at the news conference. "Once again we are talking about seeking solutions to put an end to domestic violence. Each year, we do a little more to whittle away at the underlying issues. We've changed the publishing requirements so that court records could be sealed and abusers couldn't follow a paper trail to victims. This past May we made some changes to Protection From Abuse orders by disqualifying gun buyers from purchasing firearms if they have a PFA filed against them within a five year period. Yet there is more that we can and should do."

Williams said that she would like to see a comprehensive bill that addresses domestic violence by providing victims with compassionate care in the emergency room.

"We need to improve rape kits and we need to ensure that everyone is aware and has access to emergency contraception when they go to the emergency room following a rape," Williams said. "We need to make sure Pennsylvania has strong laws that not only punish, but serve as a deterrent to committing these crimes."

"Domestic violence is a crime that can impact anyone at any time," Williams said. "By raising awareness, strengthening laws to protect victims and letting victims know that help exists, we can begin to lower the crime statistics and we can ensure that there are fewer media headlines that tell the story of lives needlessly cut short by acts of domestic abuse."

"Losing one woman, one child or one man to domestic violence or to any act of violence is one too many," Williams said.