Lawyer, Judge Hosting Abuse Prevention Program

Informative Sessions At Florissant Valley

From - North County Journals

September 22, 1999

A St. Louis city lawyer and Circuit Court judge are organizing an event they hope will make people more aware of domestic violence and available resources.

Leigh Joy Carson, a family law attorney, and Thomas Frawley, 22nd Judicial Circuit Court judge, will host "The Community Response to Domestic Violence" from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 12 in the student center at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Road.

With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Carson said the program will target 'acts of domestic violence such as spouse and child abuse. She said the program should address the problem head-on.

"The intent is to give the participants not only information about family violence and the effect that it can have on a family and the individual members, but to also share some tools that may be used in addressing the (problem)," Carson said.

According to the St. Louis County Circuit Clerk’s office, domestic violence is widespread, with more than 2,200 order of protection cases (restraining orders) filed this year.

Carson said the program will feature several psychologists, police officers, and a former batterer and victim explaining the effect abuse can put on a person and family.

In between discussions, three sessions of groups will discuss topics such as the impact of violence on children, intervention options with the batterer, intervention strategies with the battered and police response to family violence.

The group sessions will be led by Frawley and St. Louis County Family Court Judge Thea Sherry.

The group sessions will them inform battered victims about ways of obtaining help. A group will discuss signs of child abuse and when it is time to report such abuse to a hotline.

The program is free to the public but pre-registration is requested. Registration will begin at 1 p.m. on the day of the event.

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