Survivors gave first-hand accounts of the strife they've gone through at a special hearing Tuesday. Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke has called it a crisis.
The Cook County Criminal Justice Committee heard testimony from domestic violence survivors. They're making demands on what needs to change to keep families and their children safe from abusers.
Survivors were clear that there is an urgent need for more work to be done in the court system. Advocates say the average court length of a domestic violence case was four years.
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Survivors told stories of how the trauma extends to their children.
"I had to witness my son being present, why his father battered his then girlfriend," Sarah Brown, domestic violence survivor, said. "I have made countless pleas, countless to train professionals showing them previous restraining orders filed against my abuser only to see my parenting time, his parenting time increased."
Brown was one several domestic violence survivors who spoke about feeling traumatized by the justice system after filing for legal action, in some cases being in situations where judges gave custody of children to abusers.
They say without action taken, their lives are at risk. Advocates say domestic-related homicides are up nearly 35% as testimony was shared from loved ones of victims.
"She was killed by her loser in front of her kids," one survivor said. "I feel like the police and like that order protection should be more than just a paper."
The demands to county leaders from survivors included:
-Mandatory training on domestic violence, including post separation abuse for all family court professionals
-To stop prioritizing an abuser's parental rights over a child's safety
-Ensure a complete and accurate record of all court proceedings using a court reporter, this will provide judges with dependable information.
Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke, has said she's been on a mission to restructure the prosecutor's office to increase lock ups and help fight domestic violence crimes.
The city has help for anyone experiencing domestic violence. Call the 24 hour hotline at 18778636338. It's free and confidential.