Across the County, Prosecutors and State's Attorney Offices have and are currently ignoring the Federal Violence Against Women Act.
Victims who seek services for assistance from the legal system in domestic violence, stalking, rape, court orders of protection are in Violation of a Federal Act that has been on the books since 1994, when Senator Biden worked with organizations across the country in this ground breaking legislation. If you click Here you will be able to read the full act.
{example of federal language in the law}
‘‘Subtitle J—Violence Against Women Act
Court Training and Improvements
‘‘SEC. 41001. SHORT TITLE.
‘‘This subtitle may be cited as the ‘Violence Against Women
Act Court Training and Improvements Act of 2005’.
‘‘SEC. 41002. PURPOSE.
‘‘The purpose of this subtitle is to enable the Attorney General,
though the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women,
to award grants to improve court responses to adult and youth
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
to be used for—
‘‘(1) improved internal civil and criminal court functions,
responses, practices, and procedures;
‘‘(2) education for court-based and court-related personnel
on issues relating to victims’ needs, including safety, security,
privacy, confidentiality, and economic independence, as well
as information about perpetrator behavior and best practices
for holding perpetrators accountable;
‘‘Subtitle J—Violence Against Women Act
Court Training and Improvements
‘‘SEC. 41001. SHORT TITLE.
‘‘This subtitle may be cited as the ‘Violence Against Women
Act Court Training and Improvements Act of 2005’.
‘‘SEC. 41002. PURPOSE.
‘‘The purpose of this subtitle is to enable the Attorney General,
though the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women,
to award grants to improve court responses to adult and youth
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
to be used for—
‘‘(1) improved internal civil and criminal court functions,
responses, practices, and procedures;
‘‘(2) education for court-based and court-related personnel
on issues relating to victims’ needs, including safety, security,
privacy, confidentiality, and economic independence, as well
as information about perpetrator behavior and best practices
for holding perpetrators accountable;
If you are a victim or the loved one of a victim, I urge you to read the law. Victims are being refused basic services by a court system that if overburdened. A victim of a rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence stalking, murder, removal of parental rights, must be armed with the knowledge of their rights when seeking assistance in these cases. It is unfortunate but a victim must demand their basic rights under the law.
As an example, Kathleen Savio, Drew Peterson's third wife, demanded justice. She wrote letters to the Will County State's Attorney's Office regarding her dangerous and life threatning situation. She contacted police. Her letters and pleas fell on deaf ears. After the death of Kathleen Savio, the family continued to demand answers. The door of the legal system was slammed in their face. It would take Stacy Peterson to vanish before relatives of Kathleen's such as [Kathleen's sister] who shared documents with Fox News and Greta that an outside medial exaimner was hired to determine the cause of death.
It was the Illinois State Police and the Savio's family, not the Will County State's Attorney who suspected her death was a homicide. And yet during this election year the office of the Will County State's Attorney is talking credit for something they themselves, ignored.
This is not an invitation to a cocktail party, these are people's lives.
