After NC House Rep. Cody Henson (R-Brevard) was charged with criminally cyber-stalking his estranged wife and ordered to turn over his firearms, and after reports that the alleged victim had trouble getting a local judge to respond quickly to her complaints, Triad NOW and Progress NC will host a domestic violence awareness town hall meeting at Parkway United Church of Christ to underscore the need for education, enforcement, and support for victims of domestic violence.
WHAT: Voices of Domestic Violence Town Hall
WHO: Triad NOW & Progress NC
WHEN: Thursday, April 11, 2019 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
WHERE: Parkway United Church of Christ (1465 Irving Street, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103)
SCHEDULED SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Julie Owens – Domestic Violence Expert and Consultant
Dawn Mooney – Domestic Violence Survivor
Susan Browder – Everytown Survivor Fellow
Molly-Catherine K. Goodson, M.A., Esq. – Assistant District Attorney at Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office
Rep. Evelyn Terry – North Carolina State House Representative 71st District
Linda Witherspoon – Family Services of Forsyth County
Rev. Abby Catoe – Founder/Executive Director at Annie’s Hope Center for Growing and Healing
“Domestic violence does not discriminate. Regardless of socio-economic status, skin color or ethnic background, it happens in every culture. Women, and some men, are overpowered and abused behind closed doors. The effects last a lifetime. By bringing more awareness to its prevalence and the resources for help, we can offer hope to families in crisis.” Reverend Abby Catoe, Survivor and Founder of Annie’s Hope Center for Growing and Healing.
“It is absolutely disturbing that a State Representative charged with acts of domestic violence is still roaming our legislature making laws unchecked. This sends a message to victims that their safety is not important to our leaders. We must bring awareness of the real problems faced by victims in our community and demand that they be supported by our lawmakers.” Eleanore Wood, Domestic Violence Survivor and Digital Director for Progress North Carolina
Every 9 seconds in the US, a woman is assaulted or beaten. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime. 19% of domestic violence involves a weapon. 72% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner. 94% of the victims of these murder-suicides are female. These numbers are even higher in rural areas.
Domestic violence is defined as violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. In more detail, it can be described as “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional/psychological abuse.”