UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 6, Page 7
October 7, 1993
Panel focuses on law's response to violence against women

* The average age of rape victims in Delaware is 8 or 9.

* 75 percent of homicides are domestic-related.

* There are three times more animal shelters than shelters for battered
  women.

     These were some of the statistics raised during a panel discussion,
"Violence Against Women: The Law's Response," held during Sexual Assault
Awareness Week.
     Joan Del Fattore, professor of English, served as moderator of the
panel which explored efforts at federal, state, local and campus levels to
curb sexual assault.
     Panelists included Melanie Sloan, legal counsel with the U.S. Senate
Judiciary Committee; Rosemary Killian, Delaware senior deputy attorney
general, Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit; Sherry L. Sczubelek, commander
of the Rape Task Force, New Castle County Police Department; and Timothy
Brooks, dean of students at the University.
     Discussing federal government efforts to curb violence against women,
Sloan said pending legislation by Delaware U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden-to
increase safety and education, to increase police effectiveness, to
counteract gender bias in the court system and to guarantee the right to be
free of gender-based violence-is getting more support and attention. As
more senators support the bill and as awareness grows that violent crimes
in general, and against women, specifically, are becoming a bigger problem,
there is a good chance the bill will become law, Sloan said.
     On the state level, Killian said progress has been made in the past 10
to 15 years. For example, victims of sexual violence formerly had no where
to go and little help. While this has changed, much still needs to be done.
     Sczubelek, speaking from the law enforcement point of view, said in
the past domestic violence was not a police issue. Even if sympathetic,
police were unable to help. Now officers can, and do, make arrests in
almost every instance when called because of domestic violence. When police
are alerted to a problem four or five times at the same home, experience
has shown that the next call could be for a homicide investigation, she
said.
     Police officers inform victims of their right and encourage them to
press charges because the violent family member needs help and treatment.
Sometimes, the victim will not bring charges, which weakens the case. But
the police can press charges on their own and subpoena witnesses, she said.
     According to Sczubelek, domestic violence can be part of a
generational cycle. One goal is to break the chain and to enforce the
concept that domestic violence is not acceptable.
     Discussing stranger rape, Sczubelek talked about the tri-state serial
rapist, who has not yet been apprehended and who has attacked women in
their homes.
     She said the victims have met each other and have formed a kind of
support group. One serious problem they share is never feeling safe
anywhere at any time.
     The belief that "this can't happen to me" is not true, Sczubelek said.
The youngest rape victim she has dealt with was 6 months old and the oldest
was a bedridden, blind woman of 88. Men also can be victimized by other
men, and this is the least reported crime, she said.
     In discussing the campus judicial system, Brooks said that the
University always has been concerned with the rights of the accused and the
victims.
                                             -Sue Swyers Moncure