MEMPHIS, TN – October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and to help address the increasing number of domestic-related crimes reported in Memphis and Shelby County, District Attorney Bill Gibbons announces that his office has organized a special training session for attorneys, social service providers and others who work with victims of domestic abuse. The Shelby County Domestic Violence Symposium will directly address the domestic violence crisis in Memphis and Shelby County.
The number of domestic-related homicides has nearly doubled so far in 2008. As of September 30, a total of 32 domestic-related homicides had been reported so far this year. For the same time period in 2007, a total of 18 domestic-violence homicides had been reported.
“We will do what we can to hold domestic violence offenders accountable, but we cannot prosecute our way out of this crisis. We must come together as a community to address the underlying causes of domestic violence,” said District Attorney Gibbons.
The Domestic Violence Symposium will be held on Thursday, October 16, from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m., at the Urban Child Institute, located at 600 Jefferson and will begin with an address by District Attorney Gibbons. Speakers include Anna Whalley from the Shelby County Crime Victims Center, Assistant District Attorney Karen Cook, chief prosecutor of the D.A.’s Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit, and a representative from the Memphis Police Departments Domestic Violence Bureau. The symposium is free of charge and is open to anyone who works with victims of domestic violence. Attorneys who attend the symposium may earn three hours of continued legal education (CLE).
For more information, contact Karen Cook at 545-5900. |