By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
The North Carolina Domestic Violence Commission works with various programs, including the N.C. Council for Women (CFW), to help combat domestic violence across the state. Lynne Harlan, an EBCI tribal member, was sworn in as a member of the 35-member Commission on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
EBCI tribal member Lynne Harlan (2nd from left) is shown being sworn in as a member of the N.C. Domestic Violence Commission on Wednesday, Sept. 21. District Court Judge Sharon T. Barrett administered the oath to Harlan, Marie White, Cathy Cloninger and Beth Williams. (Photo courtesy of NCDA)
“It is an honor to receive the appointment to the North Carolina Domestic Violence Commission from Sen. Phillip Berger,” she said. “I look forward to working with the Commission to support domestic violence programs at both the state and tribal level.”
Harlan was sworn in at a ceremony in Raleigh by Superior Court Judge Sharon T. Barrett. Also sworn in that day were Cathy Cloninger, Gaston County; Beth Williams, Catawba County; Sherry F. Alloway, Guilford County; and Marie White, Mecklenberg County.
Jill Dinwiddie, CFW executive director, had this to say about the Commission, “The work of the Commission is very important to citizens of North Carolina as we seek opportunities to improve victim services, increase public awareness, and inform legislators about issues impacting domestic violence survivors.”
According to information from the N.C. Dept. of Administration, the Commission “assesses statewide needs related to domestic violence and collaborates with the N.C. Council for Women to strengthen existing domestic violence programs.”
The Violence Policy Center (VPC) released a report on Tuesday, Sept. 20 that documented the number of females murdered by males in the United States in 2009.
“In 2009, there were 1,818 females murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents that were submitted to the FBI for its Supplementary Homicide Report,” the VPC report states. “For homicides in which the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 93 percent of female victims (1,579 out of 1,693) were murdered by a male they knew.”
The report goes on to state that of those victims who knew their offender, a total of 63 percent (989) were wives or “intimate acquaintances”.
In the report, North Carolina ranked 23rd on the list with a total of 61 murders (1.27 rate per 100,000 people). Surrounding states fared much worse. Tennessee was 5th on the list with a 1.83 rate (59 murders). Georgia ranked 6th with a 1.80 rate (90 murders) and South Carolina was 7th with a 1.79 rate (42 murders).
For more information on domestic violence and its prevention, visit the CFW website www.councilforwomen.nc.gov.
