Any law enforcement officer will attest that domestic disturbances are the most dangerous and disturbing calls to handle. Walking into a house where domestic discord is present and having to make an assessment in minutes about issues that have been broiling for years is difficult.
Domestic violence has been pushed to the national forefront again: Ray Rice, a top NFL football player, was captured on elevator video last February punching out his now spouse and dragging her unconscious body into a hotel lobby. But domestic violence is not exclusive to the NFL in the world of sports. In June, Hope Solo, the captain of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team, allegedly assaulted her nephew and half sister. And who can forget the family squabble in, again, an elevator, involving Rapper Jay Z and his sister-in-law.
When these high-profile instances of domestic disputes take center stage, the collateral damage is widespread. A news commentator, referring to Ray Rice’s then-girlfriend said she should have known to take the stairs. This drew outrage from viewers and competing media commentators, resulting in the perfunctory public apology. Advertisers quickly ran for cover, or not. Radisson Hotel withdrew their NFL sponsorships, while Covergirl cosmetics remained a sponsor, causing a firestorm of criticism.
Maine summer resident and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell almost lost his job after giving Rice an initial two-game suspension. Once the video was publicized, Goodell apologized, and Rice’s career ended ”“ for now. Goodell is still in the hot seat for expecting us to believe that the NFL, with its cadre of professional investigators and its deep pockets, did not have the video until it was publicized by TMZ.
Since the Rice incident, victims are feeling more comfortable coming forward. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, in the two days after the Ray Rice video was leaked, there was an 84 percent increase in phone calls reporting domestic violence. In southern Maine, Caring Unlimited, a nonprofit agency that operates a domestic abuse hotline and shelter, reported a 25 percent increase in calls the month after a domestic violence-related triple homicide was reported in Saco.
Several years ago, a rumor surfaced that claimed domestic violence increased on Super Bowl Sunday, suggesting that sports was a causal factor of domestic violence. While we know that was a hoax, there does seem to be a correlation between domestic violence and sports, at least in England. Last year, when that country was knocked out of the World Cup, domestic abuse reports rose 38 percent.
This year, British authorities were prepared. When England was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup competition, a public service announcement titled, “No one wanted England to win more than women” hit the airwaves in record speed. The poignant PSA reveals how domestic violence rises by more than a third when England is knocked out of the World Cup. It shows a woman anxiously watching England play soccer on TV then showing trepidation when they lose. The screen goes dark and a message appears reporting the alarming statistics.
As you are aware, Maine takes domestic volence very seriously. Our own governor admits to domestic violence in his family when he was growing up. He has made it a focal point of his administration.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and, according to the Department of Public Safety, a domestic violence assault is reported every 96 minutes in Maine. The actual number is much higher because domestic violence is an underreported crime.
If any good can result from these numerous celebrity domestic violence assaults it may be that the publicity they have elicited is unraveling the cloak of secrecy shrouding this horrific crime.
— William King is chief deputy of the York County Sheriff’s Office.
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