Many point to hard economic times as a cause — and a reason why women are staying in abusive relationships

Although the beating of pop singer Rihanna by boyfriend Chris Brown has brought more attention to the problem of domestic violence recently, advocates say the crime has been a longtime problem locally. And the severity of the cases showing up on their desks has become increasingly more traumatic as the recession wears on.

“I don’t know if my numbers show an increase in the number of cases I’ve worked recently,” said Lynne Smith, domestic violence advocate for the Tooele City Police Department, “but the cases have certainly become more severe. I’m seeing more women who are being threatened by weapons, more victims that are being choked by their intimate partner. The violence is more frightening. It’s more intense. Instead of going in and seeing women who have been knocked around a little, I’m seeing women who are fighting for their very life and their children’s lives.”

“We are seeing severe injuries, almost fatalities,” said Michelle Main, director of Pathways women’s shelter in Tooele.

Main believes the dismal state of the economy is likely to blame for the increase in the severity of domestic abuse cases. Women, now more than ever, don’t have the financial means necessary to flee a violent situation at home.

“They are staying until they get really desperate,” Main said.

Smith agreed, saying tight finances not only fuel domestic violence, but are usually one of the top reasons why a woman will stay with a man who’s beating her.

“People can’t afford to get a divorce,” Smith said. “So they are staying.”

Main, who serves on a committee for shelter directors throughout the state, said a recent meeting also produced concerns about open bed space in many shelters.

“We all were concerned about having open beds,” Main said. “With the economy down, victims are staying with their perpetrator longer, but when they do come in the severity of their case is higher. That seemed to be a consistent trend throughout the state. All of the directors had the same view. We’ve always had verbal and emotional abuse cases, but we are seeing more of an escalation to physical abuse.”

Tooele County witness/victim advocate Holly Johnson, a survivor of domestic violence herself who has worked in advocacy for 17 years, said although a look back at the last year doesn’t show a particular trend in terms of domestic violence, there is growing awareness that being a victim is nothing to be ashamed of.

“There’s more awareness about domestic violence and support for victims,” Johnson said. “That’s why we get more calls.”

Main, who has worked supporting victims almost just as long as Johnson, agreed.

“Twenty years ago, people didn’t call in reports of DV. If they did call in for DV, it was a family fight. The officers would tell them to separate themselves, say everything is fine, and leave,” Main said. “Our response now is officers that are actually trained as front-line responders to domestic violence situations.”

Another improvement, according to Smith, is the hiring of Jaqueline Motley as the new coordinator of the county crisis line. Motley, who immigrated from Mexico, has the unique ability to connect with the county’s Hispanic population on a very personal level.

“I had a [domestic violence victim] who was literally afraid to tell the whole story because the officers that were Spanish-speaking were men and she was scared to talk to them,” Smith said. “But then we were able to bring in Jaqueline and the woman told her everything and we were able to really provide the services that she needed.”

Beyond being able to bridge language barriers, Main said, Motley’s personal story of domestic violence and her cultural background also add to her ability to help victims. That sensitivity encompasses even those victims of domestic violence who fear coming forward to seek help because they are in the U.S. illegally.

“They are afraid their kids will be taken away from them so they are afraid to say anything,” Motley said.

She has been able to help the team navigate through the paperwork needed to access federal funding to enable immigrants to expedite the process of obtaining citizenship in the event of a domestic violence situation.

“We’ve always had the resources to hook people up with the multicultural legal center in Salt Lake City,” Johnson said. “But now we have a local person that can help us.”

Combating domestic violence is a team effort and one this DV team is passionate about.

“I’ve been a victim and it’s made me want to help others,” Smith said. “I was a victim during a time when there was not the awareness, the help, education and the state-mandated laws that protect victims. I’m privileged to help further those efforts now.”

Main said she believes women have the power to say what’s OK and what’s not OK, and she wants to ensure they always have that power.

“If I have the ability to help my community and help victims have that empowerment, then that’s what I want to do,” Main said.

Motley said she’s proud to help others overcome the things she has.

“When you hear someone say, ‘You changed my life,’ that’s the reward,” Motley said.

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com