10.10.2025 - Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Good afternoon. I would like to welcome everyone here to the city hall in Fall River uh for the recogn recognition of domestic violence awareness month here.

Uh this is an important program that I know that the city um uh puts forward every year along with STAR and the clothesline project which we're going to going to learn more about today. My name is Kyle McFersonson. I'm the chief district court prosecutor for the Bristol County District Attorney's Office and Tom Quinn. Um today we are uh again I just wanted to thank everyone for coming and taking part in this.

Domestic violence is an extremely important issue. It affects every single person. Um whether you are a victim of domestic violence or you know someone who is know someone that's struggling with it. Um there are a lot of people here to help a lot of resources and a lot of good programs going on uh that can help us uh deal with this uh terrible situation. We are going to uh start today's events with a prayer by

Father Rob.

Please join me in prayer. Let us pray.

Loving and compassionate Lord our God, as we commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Week, we come to you with heavy hearts, lifting up those who are enduring the pain and fear of domestic violence. Wrap them in your boundless love and protection.

Shield them from harm and give them courage to seek safety and healing.

Grant them the strength to break free from the chains of abuse and surround them with people who will support, uplift, and guide them toward a life of peace and dignity. May they feel your presence in their darkest moments, knowing that they are never alone.

Heal their wounds, both seen and unseen, and restore their spirit with hope, resilience, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. Let them find solace in your unwavering care and knowledge that they are deeply valued and loved.

This we ask in your holy name. Amen.

Thank you, Father Rob. Um, next up in our uh presentation today is an expl explanation of the clothesline project.

And here to give it give us that explanation is Rebecca De Jesus, the director of the women's center at STAR.

And she is right here. Sorry about that, Rebecca.

Thank you.

The clothesline project is a visual initiative designed to raise awareness about domestic violence. It was founded in 1990 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Survivors and advocates comprised of clients and staff at STAR created t-shirts representative of their experiences as well as symbols of hope for the future. These shirts are displayed on the clothesline you see around the room.

This form of creative self-expression provides survivors a voice to share their stories while also commemorating those who have lost their lives to violence.

The clothesline project aims to foster healing, educate the community, and motivate action against domestic violence.

The shirts will remain on display in this space for the month of October for domestic violence awareness month.

Um, and I would encourage everyone, if you haven't been to this program before, please walk around, take a look at these shirts. Uh, it's always inspiring to see them, see the work that's put into them and the stories, um, and stories of survivors that are displayed on them.

It's truly remarkable and uplifting. Um, uh, next, um, the district attorney of Bristol County, Thomas Quinn, uh, is going to make some remarks. Sir, thank you, Kyle. Good afternoon. Uh, first like to thank Mayor Paul Coogan for continuing to hold uh this important event at city hall and flying the domestic violence uh awareness flag during the month of October. Would also like to thank Rebecca De Jesus, the new

executive director of the women's center, Nancy Matheni, for putting this event together today. uh they work tirelessly uh day in and day out working with victims so they can become survivors and this clos line project demonstrates a small portion of their work with victims. The crime of domestic violence is one of the most destructive forces uh affecting our community today.

These offenders terrorize their own family members, including children, and create unstable and unsafe living situations.

When the home is not stable and safe, then the community becomes less safe as well. It's been my it has been will continue to be my goal as district attorney to seek justice for all victims of domestic violence, no matter where they are in their life. They all deserve dignity, respect, safety, and above all else, they deserve to have their abusers held accountable and brought to justice. We

value our continued cooperation with law enforcement agencies across the county.

Uh my office will continue to use every tool available to us in order to bring these violent offenders to justice. We will continue to file and try to hold repeat offenders uh without bail uh as dangers to the community and the victims and we'll continue to develop and train specialized domestic violence prosecutors and advocates who work with the civilian support agencies in order to make sure that victims are safe,

informed, and a part of the process.

I would like to extend uh my sincerest appreciation to the victims of domestic violence who have the courage to come forward and want to know that we are here to listen to support and understand them and help them through this most difficult process. Thank you very much.

Um, next up is a slight change, but a I think a very good one. Uh, State Representative Alan Sylvia would like to say a few words.

So, I have no written remarks, but I'll keep my remarks to under 45 minutes. So, please relax. I'm just getting weekly.

Um it was um 1989 by act of congress that October became domestic violence awareness month and uh since then we have in the city of Fall River have been very involved of course through STAR uh with the issue. But I wanted to highlight, you know, folks in the community have a vision of who are victims of domestic violence. And I want to mention two groups.

First is uh teenagers, ages 14 through 18 who uh are in high schools.

And uh one out of every 12 are victims of dating violence, domestic violence.

Um it's a huge population again often forgotten. And the other population that I wanted to mention is u I know I spoke about it many years ago but it was older women in domestic violence.

Those senior citizens a number of them many of them and I know some here who are involved in the counseling process have worked with victims who are over the age of 55.

Um I just want us to remember that uh many people in society are affected by no matter what age u domestic violence issues. And uh lastly I just want to mention how important the clothesline project is because now the these t-shirts are going to remain up here and everyone who enters, everyone who comes by as they always have, it's a reminder and that's what this is all about. It's about educating our

community. So, uh, thank you, Rebecca, and thank you, survivors and victims.

Thanks very much.

Thank you, Representative Sylvia. Um, next we have the mayor of Fall River, Mayor Coogan, uh, who's going to make some remarks and also the and then the proclamation.

Um, obviously I want to thank everybody for showing up for this very important ceremony. Um, the clothesline project is key in government center so people can, as Representative Sylvia said, come by and uh and relive or revisit the message that we're trying to send out today. Um, one of the numbers that keeps rolling around in my head in 19 19 I am dating myself. In 2023, 35,000 cases of domestic violence were

reported in the state of Massachusetts alone. So, if you extrapolate that out to 50 states, you're going to see a number that is absolutely stunning. And it's something that if we can do anything to keep it in the forefront of people's minds and make people aware that there there not only is a problem we're going to address, but there's places to go to get help and there's people that want to help you. So, uh,

don't be afraid to report. With that being said, uh, we do have a proclamation, um, from the city of Fall River. Whereas 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, which represents more than 10 million victims of domestic violence annually.

And whereas domestic violence is understood to be a problem that ex is exacerbated by increased confinement with abusive partners, social isolation from support system, increased unemployment, unstable housing, stress associated with child care, financial insecurity, and lack of substance use supports. And whereas domestic violence most egregiously impacts the vulnerable and marginalized people in our

community, including black, indigenous people of color, immigrants, the elderly, economically disenfranchised, LGBTQ folks, women, children, and those with mental or physical disabilities.

Many of the survivors choose not to report to the police, the courts or domestic violence agencies for fear of being harmed or traumatized by the systems that are meant to resupport them and are also isolated from in-person support such as therapists, family members, and friends. And whereas we recognize that a coordinated community effort can prevent and abate the pattern of domestic violence and that all of our

citizens deserve to live in a city that is dedicated to their well-being and their safety. And whereas the Greater Forever Domestic Violence Coalition commit to advocate for dismantling systems of oppression and continue to make domestic violence possible and commit to upholding the ethic of care and accountability that recognizes the unique vulnerabilities and agency of our survivors.

Therefore, I, Paul Coogan, mayor of the city of Fall River, do hereby proclaim October 25 as domestic violence awareness month. And we urge all of our citizens to bring awareness to end domestic violence. Signed by me, Paul Coogan, mayor of the city of Fall River.

I'll give it to uh maybe I should give it to Rebecca. Come on up, Rebecca.

Thank you so much.

And again, thank you everybody for being here today. It's very, very important.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. What I would like to do is um again just thank everyone for attending to the ceremony today, especially to the survivors of domestic violence, the victims of domestic violence. It just doesn't include those that suffer at the hands of the abusers, but those in their family, those that have to witness it, those that are out in the community. And again, at the district attorney's

office, at every level in law enforcement and our public uh service agencies, civilian agencies that take part in this, um it is a a complete team effort to eradicate domestic violence.

It's not an unachievable goal. Uh we've done more difficult things in the past and um I would just like to thank everyone for taking part in this. Really means a lot that you put your time to it. Thank you so much.

Are you ready?

There you go.