Me speaking out at a rally in Union SC.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Strangers help woman escape abusive church and marriage
Survivor breaks her silence to speak at PADV events
Tranteegus Allen’s story reads like a made for TV movie. But it’s not; it happened in metro Atlanta. Allen was forced at the age of 17 to marry her pastor’s son, a boy she had grown up with. She experienced controlling abuse by both her husband and her church. Her husband, who took over his father’s church as pastor, would quote 1 Corinthians 7:4 “The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband” while he was raping her. She suffered a miscarriage because she was so badly beaten.
Despite years of controlling abuse from her husband and enslavement from her church, Allen found hope and faith again because of the kindness of strangers who refused to turn away and were willing to help her escape. “By sharing my story, I hope to encourage the faith-based community to support domestic violence survivors by learning more about the issue and collaborating with PADV or their local domestic violence program,” said Tranteegus Allen. “It is the obligation of the church to make every person accountable for their brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“The faith-based community needs to realize that domestic violence isn’t a ‘marital
problem,’ but rather a national epidemic affecting women from all religious backgrounds,” saidCathy Willis Spraetz, president and CEO for PADV. “A domestic violence survivor may struggle to understand what’s happening to her in relation to her faith. Therefore, it’s critical to communicate to her that she is not to blame nor is she responsible for his behavior.”
One in three women will experience intimate partner violence. Consider these facts:
• From August 2007 through August 2008, there were 78 deaths in Georgia as a
result of intimate partner violence.
• In 2007, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported 55,000 cases of family
violence in the state.
• Gwinnett County had the highest number of women murdered by a man.
Faith-based communities can:
• Seek expert assistance from PADV or other domestic violence advocacy
organizations.
• Schedule training on intimate partner violence for the congregation.
• Refer her only to specialized domestic violence advocacy programs, not to couples
counseling.
• Participate in Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities.
About DVAM Activities: The eighth annual Silent No More candlelight vigil and seventh
annual Domestic Violence Survivor Speak-Out events are held in October to observe National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, celebrate domestic violence survivors, and honor those who were killed because of domestic abuse. The vigil is hosted by Partnership Against Domestic Violence, Office of the Fulton County District Attorney Victim Services, Fulton Solicitor General’s Office Victim Services, YWCA of
Greater Atlanta, Hands On Atlanta and Zion Hill Community Development Corporation.
Activities will include inspiring music and uplifting dancing. The program will conclude with an immensely powerful personalized candlelight vigil to honor Georgia’s victims.
The Domestic Violence Survivor Speak-Out is hosted by Partnership Against Domestic
Violence, Gwinnett Family Violence Task Force and the Gwinnett Solicitor General’s Office.
Other activities at the event will include a musical performance and a “Remember My Name”
Rose Ceremony.
About PADV: Partnership Against Domestic Violence is the largest and one of the oldest nonprofit domestic violence organizations in Georgia. For more than 30 years, PADV has provided professional, compassionate, and empowering support to battered women and their children in metro Atlanta. Support includes a 24-hour crisis line, two emergency shelters in metro Atlanta, supportive housing, support groups, legal advocacy, and a teen dating violence prevention program. To learn more
about domestic violence and PADV visit www.padv.org
###
Tranteegus Allen’s story reads like a made for TV movie. But it’s not; it happened in metro Atlanta. Allen was forced at the age of 17 to marry her pastor’s son, a boy she had grown up with. She experienced controlling abuse by both her husband and her church. Her husband, who took over his father’s church as pastor, would quote 1 Corinthians 7:4 “The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband” while he was raping her. She suffered a miscarriage because she was so badly beaten.
Despite years of controlling abuse from her husband and enslavement from her church, Allen found hope and faith again because of the kindness of strangers who refused to turn away and were willing to help her escape. “By sharing my story, I hope to encourage the faith-based community to support domestic violence survivors by learning more about the issue and collaborating with PADV or their local domestic violence program,” said Tranteegus Allen. “It is the obligation of the church to make every person accountable for their brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“The faith-based community needs to realize that domestic violence isn’t a ‘marital
problem,’ but rather a national epidemic affecting women from all religious backgrounds,” saidCathy Willis Spraetz, president and CEO for PADV. “A domestic violence survivor may struggle to understand what’s happening to her in relation to her faith. Therefore, it’s critical to communicate to her that she is not to blame nor is she responsible for his behavior.”
One in three women will experience intimate partner violence. Consider these facts:
• From August 2007 through August 2008, there were 78 deaths in Georgia as a
result of intimate partner violence.
• In 2007, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported 55,000 cases of family
violence in the state.
• Gwinnett County had the highest number of women murdered by a man.
Faith-based communities can:
• Seek expert assistance from PADV or other domestic violence advocacy
organizations.
• Schedule training on intimate partner violence for the congregation.
• Refer her only to specialized domestic violence advocacy programs, not to couples
counseling.
• Participate in Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities.
About DVAM Activities: The eighth annual Silent No More candlelight vigil and seventh
annual Domestic Violence Survivor Speak-Out events are held in October to observe National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, celebrate domestic violence survivors, and honor those who were killed because of domestic abuse. The vigil is hosted by Partnership Against Domestic Violence, Office of the Fulton County District Attorney Victim Services, Fulton Solicitor General’s Office Victim Services, YWCA of
Greater Atlanta, Hands On Atlanta and Zion Hill Community Development Corporation.
Activities will include inspiring music and uplifting dancing. The program will conclude with an immensely powerful personalized candlelight vigil to honor Georgia’s victims.
The Domestic Violence Survivor Speak-Out is hosted by Partnership Against Domestic
Violence, Gwinnett Family Violence Task Force and the Gwinnett Solicitor General’s Office.
Other activities at the event will include a musical performance and a “Remember My Name”
Rose Ceremony.
About PADV: Partnership Against Domestic Violence is the largest and one of the oldest nonprofit domestic violence organizations in Georgia. For more than 30 years, PADV has provided professional, compassionate, and empowering support to battered women and their children in metro Atlanta. Support includes a 24-hour crisis line, two emergency shelters in metro Atlanta, supportive housing, support groups, legal advocacy, and a teen dating violence prevention program. To learn more
about domestic violence and PADV visit www.padv.org
###
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Photo Gallery | Cincinnati.Com
A NEIGHBORHOOD GRIEVES- MOTHER AND CHILDREN MURDERED BY EX-BOYFRIEND
Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Photo Gallery | Cincinnati.Com
Posted using ShareThis
Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Photo Gallery | Cincinnati.Com
Posted using ShareThis
Pickens charged in triple homicide
Pendleton, Ohio-
Because 3-year-old Sha’Railyn Wright knew Mark Pickens name and might be able to tell police what she saw, she had to die, Hamilton County’s prosecutor said Tuesday.
Moments after a 19-year-old mother and her 9-month-old son were killed in their Pendleton apartment, Pickens walked over to within feet of Sha’Railyn and pointed a gun at her.
She covered her head with her hands. Pickens fired, the bullet piercing Sha’Railyn’s hands and crashing into her brain, killing her, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in announcing Pickens' capital murder indictment.
“These weren’t stray gunshots that killed the three. All were purposely executed,” Deters said.
Pickens, 19, of the West End, also is accused of shooting to death his former girlfriend, Noelle Washington, 19, and her 9-month-old son, Anthony Jones III. Washington was baby sitting Sha’Railyn at the time in her apartment in the 400 block of East 13th Street.
“It’s a level of violence that is grotesque in nature, something that we’ve never seen before,” an indignant Deters said.
In addition to shooting the 3-year-old in the top of the head, Pickens shot Washington in the back of the head as she held her son in her arms, Deters said. The infant was shot in the forehead.
Mother and son were buried the way they died – the infant in his mother’s arms.
“How do you explain an act like this?” Deters wondered.
Pickens has a penchant for violence, authorities allege, noting he already faces a 31-year prison term on charges stemming from felonious assault and attempted murder. In that incident , he is accused of shooting Anthony Jones II, the father of Washington’s infant, in a March 27 shooting.
Because 3-year-old Sha’Railyn Wright knew Mark Pickens name and might be able to tell police what she saw, she had to die, Hamilton County’s prosecutor said Tuesday.
Moments after a 19-year-old mother and her 9-month-old son were killed in their Pendleton apartment, Pickens walked over to within feet of Sha’Railyn and pointed a gun at her.
She covered her head with her hands. Pickens fired, the bullet piercing Sha’Railyn’s hands and crashing into her brain, killing her, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in announcing Pickens' capital murder indictment.
“These weren’t stray gunshots that killed the three. All were purposely executed,” Deters said.
Pickens, 19, of the West End, also is accused of shooting to death his former girlfriend, Noelle Washington, 19, and her 9-month-old son, Anthony Jones III. Washington was baby sitting Sha’Railyn at the time in her apartment in the 400 block of East 13th Street.
“It’s a level of violence that is grotesque in nature, something that we’ve never seen before,” an indignant Deters said.
In addition to shooting the 3-year-old in the top of the head, Pickens shot Washington in the back of the head as she held her son in her arms, Deters said. The infant was shot in the forehead.
Mother and son were buried the way they died – the infant in his mother’s arms.
“How do you explain an act like this?” Deters wondered.
Pickens has a penchant for violence, authorities allege, noting he already faces a 31-year prison term on charges stemming from felonious assault and attempted murder. In that incident , he is accused of shooting Anthony Jones II, the father of Washington’s infant, in a March 27 shooting.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Your Carolina | Preventing teen dating violence.
Video of me on Your Carolina discussing my role as MADE SC State Action Leader. For more info about MADE and teen dating abuse go to http://loveisnotabuse.com/ Your Carolina | Preventing teen dating violence.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Fort Lewis soldier charged in teen's death
Alcohol and drug use is one of the many signs of dating abuse. This story had a terrible outcome.
FORT LEWIS, Wash. —
The Army says a Fort Lewis soldier from Indiana will face a court martial in the death of his 16-year-old girlfriend.
Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and drug crimes. His girlfriend, Leah King, died in his barracks Feb. 15 after an overdose of prescription pills.
No date for the court martial has been set.
Bennitt faces up to 82 years in prison, reduction in rank, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge from the Army if convicted.
Prosecutors say Bennitt, 19 and originally from Rolling Prairie, Ind., provided King with oxymorphone, knowing she had a history of substance abuse, and allowed her to mix the painkiller with Xanax.
Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com
FORT LEWIS, Wash. —
The Army says a Fort Lewis soldier from Indiana will face a court martial in the death of his 16-year-old girlfriend.
Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt is charged with involuntary manslaughter and drug crimes. His girlfriend, Leah King, died in his barracks Feb. 15 after an overdose of prescription pills.
No date for the court martial has been set.
Bennitt faces up to 82 years in prison, reduction in rank, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge from the Army if convicted.
Prosecutors say Bennitt, 19 and originally from Rolling Prairie, Ind., provided King with oxymorphone, knowing she had a history of substance abuse, and allowed her to mix the painkiller with Xanax.
Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com
Teens Break Free From Dating Abuse
Read this story from Good Morning America:
Women Ages 16 to 24 Face Fastest-Growing Rate of Abuse in Relationships
At the beginning, Katie, Laura, Carrie and Shaina were just teenage girls in love.
"He would just always tell me how beautiful I was and how wonderful I was and how lucky he was to have me and I just was on cloud nine. I felt great," said Katie, now 19.
But eventually all of these girls found their boyfriends turning controlling and abusive.
"He told me what to do, what to wear, how to act, what to say, what am I doing next, what am I cooking, what am I eating. Everything," Laura said. "I pretty much stopped talking to my parents for the most part. I stopped talking to my friends. It was just me and him alone all the time."
Carrie said her boyfriend "wrote notes that listed what I should do for the day. … He wouldn't let me smile in class. He felt like I was, it was a way of me flirting with boys. … I just had no control of my own life."
Some, like Shaina, found themselves the victims of violence.
"He grabbed me by the ponytail and he threw me on the bed and he held me down, screaming at me in my face," she said.
They are among many young women who are verbally, physically and sexually abused by their boyfriends. According to the Justice Department, 16- to 24-year-old women are the victims of relationship abuse more than any other age group.
Getting Unstuck
"I was stuck," Carrie said. "I didn't have any friends. I didn't have anybody to help me. … It was very difficult."
Feeling coerced and trapped, most girls in abusive relationships see no way out. For Carrie, the turning point that finally enabled her to escape was a shameful request made by her manipulative boyfriend -- he asked her to sleep with an older guy while he watched.
"At that point, I was just totally overwrought by being this other person and I was just not doing that," she said. "It was just the breaking point."
Carrie made the break and reached out to her old friends, many of whom shared similar horror stories. The girls took the courageous step of leaving their violent boyfriends and then formed Teens Experiencing Abusive Relationships. They now travel the country, talking to groups about dating violence.
Through their Web site, they reach dozens of kids every day. Their efforts have helped not only those in abusive relationships, but also the friends who must watch them suffer.
Chinonye -- a founding member of TEAR -- was never a victim of abuse, but she had friends who were, and she knew how crucial it was for girls to have friends and family who recognized the signs of abuse and took the problem seriously.
"I think a lot of people portray it as these are young girls or these are young boys and this is just a young relationship, young love and it will end," Chinonye said. "But a lot of this has potential to go on forever and turn into domestic violence."
Carrie says she wants other girls to know they are not alone. "There's people out there who understand them, who know what they're going through. There's resources."
The Signs
"Good Morning America" parenting contributor Ann Pleshette Murphy said parents and friends who suspect a loved one is being abused should look for these signs:
Isolation from friends and family.
A change in behavior or clothing.
A cycle of fighting followed by making up with gifts.
If parents suspect their daughter is in an abusive relationship, Murphy said, the most important thing for them to do is stress that they're on her side. If she won't talk to you, turn to her friends and encourage her to talk to someone she trusts.
Women Ages 16 to 24 Face Fastest-Growing Rate of Abuse in Relationships
At the beginning, Katie, Laura, Carrie and Shaina were just teenage girls in love.
"He would just always tell me how beautiful I was and how wonderful I was and how lucky he was to have me and I just was on cloud nine. I felt great," said Katie, now 19.
But eventually all of these girls found their boyfriends turning controlling and abusive.
"He told me what to do, what to wear, how to act, what to say, what am I doing next, what am I cooking, what am I eating. Everything," Laura said. "I pretty much stopped talking to my parents for the most part. I stopped talking to my friends. It was just me and him alone all the time."
Carrie said her boyfriend "wrote notes that listed what I should do for the day. … He wouldn't let me smile in class. He felt like I was, it was a way of me flirting with boys. … I just had no control of my own life."
Some, like Shaina, found themselves the victims of violence.
"He grabbed me by the ponytail and he threw me on the bed and he held me down, screaming at me in my face," she said.
They are among many young women who are verbally, physically and sexually abused by their boyfriends. According to the Justice Department, 16- to 24-year-old women are the victims of relationship abuse more than any other age group.
Getting Unstuck
"I was stuck," Carrie said. "I didn't have any friends. I didn't have anybody to help me. … It was very difficult."
Feeling coerced and trapped, most girls in abusive relationships see no way out. For Carrie, the turning point that finally enabled her to escape was a shameful request made by her manipulative boyfriend -- he asked her to sleep with an older guy while he watched.
"At that point, I was just totally overwrought by being this other person and I was just not doing that," she said. "It was just the breaking point."
Carrie made the break and reached out to her old friends, many of whom shared similar horror stories. The girls took the courageous step of leaving their violent boyfriends and then formed Teens Experiencing Abusive Relationships. They now travel the country, talking to groups about dating violence.
Through their Web site, they reach dozens of kids every day. Their efforts have helped not only those in abusive relationships, but also the friends who must watch them suffer.
Chinonye -- a founding member of TEAR -- was never a victim of abuse, but she had friends who were, and she knew how crucial it was for girls to have friends and family who recognized the signs of abuse and took the problem seriously.
"I think a lot of people portray it as these are young girls or these are young boys and this is just a young relationship, young love and it will end," Chinonye said. "But a lot of this has potential to go on forever and turn into domestic violence."
Carrie says she wants other girls to know they are not alone. "There's people out there who understand them, who know what they're going through. There's resources."
The Signs
"Good Morning America" parenting contributor Ann Pleshette Murphy said parents and friends who suspect a loved one is being abused should look for these signs:
Isolation from friends and family.
A change in behavior or clothing.
A cycle of fighting followed by making up with gifts.
If parents suspect their daughter is in an abusive relationship, Murphy said, the most important thing for them to do is stress that they're on her side. If she won't talk to you, turn to her friends and encourage her to talk to someone she trusts.
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