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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 6, 2003
Contact:
Dee Koester, Law and Justice Planner, 360-786-5540
October is
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
OLYMPIA
– A total of 205 Washington state residents were killed in domestic violence
incidents between 1997 and 2001. According
to statistics kept by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic
Violence, police departments across the state responded to 51,550 domestic
violence calls in 2000 alone. In
Thurston County, more than 700 domestic violence cases are filed in the courts
in each year. With those sobering
numbers in mind, Thurston County
Commissioners today (10-6) signed a Proclamation recognizing the month of
October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Domestic
Violence Survivors' Day, sponsored by Survivors in Service and supported by
the Thurston County Prosecutors Office and the Washington State Coalition
against Domestic Violence, will be held the middle of this month.
This is the third year for the event, which will be held at the Capital
Hearing Room E, Wednesday, October 15th at noon. The public is welcome and
this year’s theme is "The Value of the Voice of Survivors".
Washington Governor Gary Locke has signed a proclamation recognizing the day.
Thurston Community Television will tape the event and it will play
throughout the month along with other special programming.
Thurston county residents, interested in joining the effort to coordinate
community response to and education about domestic violence, can join a
special organization. The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task Force
meets the first Wednesday of every month from noon to 1pm at Family and
Juvenile Court. For more information contact: Dee Koester, Law and Justice
Planner at the Prosecutors Office @ 786-5540.
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