Monday, June 8, 2009

"Teaching Victims A Lesson?"


In an article titled “Slain mother’s fate could teach victims a lesson” referring to the recent murder of former Chicago police wife Irma Rodriguez who was shot numerous times and stuffed in the trunk of her car written by Chicago Sun-Times journalist Mary Mitchell, sadly this is not by any means a lesson.

A lesson perhaps would have been better served had the columnist spoke to the experts, people like myself, who have been in the trenches with victims of violence for over 20 years. First and foremost a domestic violence relationship is as specific as an individual’s own DNA. The victims like Irma fight each day just to stay alive. Irma Rodriguez did not have a free get out of jail card to simply allow her to leave her abusive and controlling husband.

In the article Mary Mitchell says “Irma’s best chance to save herself came in 1997, when her husband was arrested with attempted murder”, incorrect unless you happen to be a fly on the wall and know for a fact that Irma’s husband Norberto Rodriguez gave a direct order to his wife that if she did not change her story to the police he would kill she and the children. And the State’s Attorney’s office at the time offered little if anything other than lip service to assist her out of her deadly hell.

My own mother had little chance of living past the age 47, when after my parents divorced, my police detective father who by the way was still in control, murdered my mother because he was never going to allow her to live her life on her own terms. These women understand the dangers of living with their violent abuser. Often they feel it is better to keep their enemy close by remaining in the roller coaster relationship and waiting until their children are old enough and out of harm’s way before they make their move to safety. And many don’t make it. The abuser is so angry, eventually, he will kill her.

As a society we continue to look away with regards to crimes involving intimate relationships. Funding for animal shelters surpasses that of battered women shelters and services 6 to 1. And going to a shelter is not an option for many women.

Frankly, the word “lesson” is insulting especially when these victims eat, sleep and drink the lessons of fists and terror from their abusers on a daily basis.


Where are the police and prosecutors who suddenly become deaf when women go to them for assistance? Currently, I am working with several women where the police refused to do their jobs. Or the prosecutors failed at taking their calls or following up on charges. A few too many times of calling and asking for help gets old when your pleas fall on deaf ears. Kathleen Savio is a poor example of what does not happen as a victims pounds on the door for assistance only to wind up six feet under.

Perhaps a corporate sponsor within the Chicago Sun-Times or a corporation concerned with preventing murder like General Electric, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coregis and any of the other companies who would benefit from a comprehensive strategy for saving lives created from women who lost their lives and would like to contact me so I can reach women like Irma, Kathleen, Stacy, Jackie, Theresa, Anna and so many others before they are murdered.

Maybe people can tune into Justice Interrupted Investigates on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 11:00PM EST, and hear how the system is failing a police officers wife where law enforcement have refused to do their jobs as blood ran down her face when she called for help. Then in a divorce action a judge in domestic relations in civil court literally has screwed over this woman all in the name of police connections and judicial closed door deals in chambers. So if she should die, is that a lesson for women? Or a system refusing to do anything?

Question: Why isn’t there an all points bulletin out for Norberto Rodriguez?

4 comments:

Forest Park, IL said...

Strange the police are not mentioning the husband isn't he a suspect or peerson of interest.

Prayer to the children

Anonymous said...

I am shocked at the phrase "teaching victims a lesson" being used in reference to what could be and should be considered as torture.

We don't ask - what in your background led you to join a concentration camp? Who would be so bold to say Maybe the Holocaust has taught the remaining vicitm's of torture a "Lesson".

Why isn't Domestic Violence thought of and treated as torture? They both consist of imprisonment, detention, enforced isolation, extreme physical and mental abuse and may end in death. Victim's are raped, beaten, burned, deprived of sleep, food and human contact. What a victim learns in order to survive, can make living later unbearable, causing post-traumatic stress even suicide years later. Why is it the constant level of abuse of women acceptable and/or even ignored?

Check out the map of DV homocides across the US in last 30 days.

Paris, TN said...

Last week a Pet groomer was accused of cruelty killed his wife then himself.

He was charged with a felony for killing an animal. Animals take priority over human life? I checked in some states it is a felony like in TN to kill or hurt and animal and it is a misdemeanor to beat your wife/. WOW that is backassed!

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say a Knoxville pet groomer who had been indicted for animal cruelty killed his wife before committing suicide.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office told The Knoxville News Sentinel that 35-year-old Jonathan Erik Webb fatally stabbed Sara Webb on Tuesday afternoon at their home.

Authorities began searching for the man, who owned Happy Tails Pet Resort and Day Spa, after a report of the stabbing and found his body later in the afternoon at the business.

Jonathan Webb was indicted last week in the Nov. 25 death of Moxie, a 5-year-old beagle, after a six-month investigation.

Kim and Tom Ramsey had taken the beagle for a bath at Webb's pet grooming business. Moxie died while in the business' care. The couple also filed a civil lawsuit against the Webbs.

Oak Lawn said...

The reporter needs her lesson on what women like Irma endure to be safe.

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