Domestic violence focus

 A House subcommittee is finishing its work on a bill prohibiting human trafficking. Experts say nationally, up to 300,000 youngsters aged 12 to 14 are lured into prostitution and taken from state to state. West Virginia is now one of only two states without such a law. 

Another bill prohibiting anyone from trying to interrupt a 911 emergency call is now under consideration in the senate. Domestic Violence survivor Celena Roby, who is now her county’s first female EMT firefighter, came to speak for the bill.

“We have an opportunity to let victims know they can call for help. We can make certain that offenders are held accountable if they so much as take that right from you. Since my years with my abuser I learned many things. I learned to hold my head up high. I learned that every trial and every scar makes us who we are. I learned to trust in God. And I learned not to give up. I will continue to stand and speak so I can help victims obtain the one thing they want more than anything and that is their freedom,” Roby said to thunderous applause.

Roby’s testimony last year concerning her victimization led to the passage of what’s called “Celena’s Law,” which made it a crime to unlawfully restrain a spouse or domestic partner. The third bill now moving in the Senate is co-sponsored by Senate President Jeff Kessler and it permits a protective order can be issued to protect victims from predators who are not related or sharing living quarters.

“We’ve come a long way baby. Truthfully that’s what we’ve done over the past decade or two in domestic violence law. It may be a family member, it may be a brother, it may be a concerned co-worker. That may be the person who gets targeted by the stalker to try to get back at that person because they’re encouraging the victim to step up and seek protection and relief,” said Kessler.

The coordinator of the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence is pleased so many lawmakers are working with so many groups on passing the three bills. 

“We’re actually celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the legislature’s first Domestic Violence Omnibus Act which passed in 1992.  So it has progressed over the years. Still, women are being killed. Children are being abused. We still have a problem here that we want to keep moving forward, steps at a time,” she concluded.

All 14 of the groups presented displays in the legislative hallways highlighting their programs. One of them featured a t-shirt with the slogan, “You can’t beat West Virginia Woman.”