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News
releases from the Mary Byron Foundation
December 2, 2004
Foundation commemorates ground-breaking domestic violence legislation,
victim notification efforts
Gala event celebrates 10th anniversary of Violence Against Women
Act, VINE®
 Louisville,
Ky. —The Mary Byron Foundation held its second annual gala
event on December 1, 2004 in Louisville. “This is the Time,”
celebrated the 10th anniversary of two milestones in the ongoing
fight against domestic violence. To date, the event has raised more
than $60,000 for the Foundation.
In 1994, U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. took on the crusade of
authoring
and urging the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA),
which combined tough law enforcement strategies with safeguards
for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
That same year, the nation’s first system of automated victim
notification was launched in Louisville in response to the murder
of Mary Byron. VINE® (Victim Information and Notification Everyday),
is now available in 1,500 communities in 39 states, including 20
of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.
Dr. Astrid Heger, founder and Executive Director of the Violence
Intervention Program at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern
California Medical Center, delivered the keynote address at the
event. The VIP, the first program of its kind in the United States,
provides screenings, treatment, counseling, legal aid, and many
other services — all under one roof. Margaret Davis, Principal
Deputy Director of the Office on Violence Against Women at the U.S.
Department of Justice, also spoke at the event.
Over the past decade, VAWA has provided more than $3.8 billion to
help state and local governments and community-based agencies to
improve the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence,
stalking, and sexual assault cases; to train prosecutors, hospital
personnel, police officers, and judges on the special aspects of
cases involving violence against women; and to create specialized
domestic violence and sexual assault units.
Initiatives created under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994
have made a difference in thousands of victims’ lives. The
U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that the overall rate
of violence against women from spouses, boyfriends, and former intimate
partners has declined 41 percent since 1996.
At the event, the Mary Byron Foundation named Biden as Honorary
Chair of its National Advisory Board, a group of leading experts
in domestic violence and criminal justice policy from across the
country. Biden accepted the honor via a videotaped message, as he
was leading a Congressional delegation to the Middle East and unable
to attend.
Like VAWA, VINE has enhanced the safety of domestic violence victims
throughout the nation. The system provides victims and other concerned
citizens with timely and reliable information about criminal cases
and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day — over the
telephone, through the Internet, or by e-mail. To date, more than
22 million calls have been made to and from VINE, resulting in more
than one million notification events — and saving countless
lives.
VINE made its debut in Louisville one year after Mary Byron was
murdered on her 21st birthday by a former boyfriend who had been
arrested and jailed for stalking, assaulting, and raping her. She
was not notified when this man was released.
“This is the Time” aims to raise national awareness
of the continuing need for legislation and funding to combat domestic
violence. Proceeds of the event will be used to support programs
throughout the United States that are working toward this goal.
Go
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