Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The Bloody Endless Road of Police Officer Wives




If you wonder why women are murdered by husbands and boyfriends, the Drew Peterson case, is classic text book.

Family abuse victims have a hard enough time jumping through the legal maze when they are abused within their own homes. The current system is broken and ineffective in dealing with the ever mounting cases that enter the legal system across the country on a daily basis.

Consider for a moment, the daily plight police officers wives face. They have no place to turn. And yes, I believe from professional experience in advocating and investigating these cases, the Peterson tragedies should be the model in "fixing" and holding accountable the horror, many families endure who are married to those "tin badge cowards" hiding by day as they protect our streets. And at nightfall control, beat and threaten their wives and girlfriends.

The legal system failed Kathleen Savio and her two boys. It ignored important police and medical reports. It intimidated her into dropping valid criminal charges against her officer husband so he could "remain on the job". The victim (Kathleen Savio) was cleverly portrayed as "off her rocker" and plain nuts for accusing a police officer to whom she was married because he was not only beating her but making valid threats against her very life. Every place Kathleen turned for help including the State's Attorney's office she was met with disbelief.

As I write this, women just like Kathleen Savio are being victimized by the "Brotherhood" who refuse to carry out the law in their state and arrest their fellow officers for committing criminal acts of violence against their own families. These women tell the similar stories of horror in emails and phone calls I receive, daily. All are met with the exact silent, response.

The crime is also within the legal system that offers no protection to police officers wives and their children. It is easier to get a prescription for valium for a doctor than it is for a wife of a law enforcement officer receive a court order of protection from a judge. Or for a woman to safely leave the abuser and start their lives anew. For a police officers wife, the possibility of a life free from violence does not exist. An officer who thrives on power and control is likely to stalk, harass and continue victimizing their wife or girlfriend long after a divorce or relationship break-up.

A police officer has at their disposal on the job training as a skilled officer, tracking tools, information to shelters, relationships with other police departments and that all mighty tin badge and service revolver.

So you tell me, where are these woman suppose to go? There is a clear reluctance on the part of the responding officers to do their jobs in the homes of fellow officers. Again, look at the Peterson case. Those fellow officers who responded to the Savio/Peterson home over the years who hesitated to deal professional with a "fellow brother in blue",
were responsible for the disaster that in my opinion, lead to not one death, but two.

If you are involved or married to someone on law enforcement, please consider contacting me. All emails received remain confidential. Email address: contact@movingoutmovingon.com

To view a list of officers wives and girlfriends who have been murdered please visit http://www.behindthebluewall.blogspot.com

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Susan, thanks for giving women like me a voice. Maybe someday things will change and we can also be protected.Like you say the system is broken.

Wife of Atlanta Detective

Anonymous said...

Cases like Peterson do nothing for this on going dilema. I doubt anybody is paying attention who is able to mak changes

Anonymous said...

It does not stop the abuse by a husband . The system looks away aiding in the behavior. they keep hurting us by making us pay when we want out. we are never left alone I have been divorced for a year and we have kids. He still follows me around threatens me, tells me it is not over yet he's not finished with me, wait, you just wait, he breaks into the house when I am not home. He won't stop. I am forced to lived like this for what? Nobody cares about police wives.

Anonymous said...

Susan, I would like these women to know that there are people who care about them, we just don't know what to do to make them all safe. It is heartbreaking to see these comments and not have the knowledge to be able to help them all.

It greatly concerns me and others that this epidemic is occuring.

Is there anything going on that would put laws or procedures in place that would somehow prevent this? I don't want to look at this with rose colored glasses, because I am not living it, but I don't know what to do to help.

We do care about you...please know that!

delilah

Anonymous said...

Our safety issues & concerns are different. We have no place to go-the legal system needs to do something and deal with this population. Ms. Milano has helped a lot of us out here leave but when a court issues an order for visitation we are forced to return or we will be arrested. And if we call and he is arrested are lives are worthless. I was charged with kidnapping for taking the kids to visit my sister. He's reported my car stolen just to locate me. There is so much more. I know she & a few others arworking on stuiff for us but will we be alive to benefit from what she is trying to do? I really don't know. It os ine day at a time. Most of us are lucky to see the sunrise everyday.

Anonymous said...

Our safety issues & concerns are different. We have no place to go-the legal system needs to do something and deal with this population. Ms. Milano has helped a lot of us out here leave but when a court issues an order for visitation we are forced to return or we will be arrested. And if we call and he is arrested are lives are worthless. I was charged with kidnapping for taking the kids to visit my sister. He's reported my car stolen just to locate me. There is so much more. I know she & a few others arworking on stuiff for us but will we be alive to benefit from what she is trying to do? I really don't know. It os ine day at a time. Most of us are lucky to see the sunrise everyday.

Anonymous said...

It is never over you get weary always looking over your shoulder 24/7. This is not a life I expected or deserve.

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