There is no one more dangerous than someone willing to wrap their hands around someone else’s neck and squeeze the life out of another person. Strangulation and domestic violence kills. Since becoming your prosecutor in 2019, enhancing the prosecution of strangulation and domestic violence cases has been a priority. That is why within months of being appointed your prosecutor in 2019, I hired a specialized and experienced attorney to join our office to focus on these specific types of crimes as our domestic violence prosecutor. Five years later, she is still here and is still a blessing to everyone she interacts with.
Beth Matune, our domestic violence prosecutor, focuses her efforts on pursuing justice while also keeping the victims (and the community at large) safe from domestic violence offenders. Beth has been a prosecutor for 20 years, dedicating almost all of her career to serving right here in Delaware County. We are fortunate to have someone so skilled who understands the dynamics of domestic violence relationships, has substantial courtroom experience, and is driven by a willingness to fight in the trenches for all victims – even those who are not able to safely advocate for themselves. There is no finer advocate for justice than Beth.
If you didn’t know, Congress declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month back in 1989. Since then, the month of October has been a time to focus on domestic violence survivors and be a voice for its victims. In our office, we use this month specifically as a time for education and reflection. While there has been much progress in reducing domestic violence across the country, an average of 20 people per minute are still physically abused by an intimate partner. Our beloved county is not exempt from these bleak statistics. In 2023, our office filed 54 felony domestic violence charges and 27 felony strangulation charges for incidents occurring in Delaware County.
This year’s National Call for Unity around the 2024 theme of “Heal, Hold & Center” is for “Connective Action.” This means we want to be intentional in our efforts to pause and recognize advocates and survivors across the country. This Call for Unity asks all supporters to commit to reconnecting with those in our community who are healing from domestic violence as well as those who work tirelessly to end it.
We kicked off our efforts this year with a collaborative Domestic Violence Awareness display at yesterday’s First Friday downtown. Our office, along with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Turning Point, and City of Delaware Police Department, teamed up to bring renewed awareness to domestic violence, continued aid to survivors, and intentional support to all advocates.
Our display was draped in the color purple (the nationally recognized color for DVAM), and we hosted a “community art project” where we had visitors to our booths tie purple ribbons onto a grid-like framework in a unified show of support for all victims, survivors, and advocates. Our goal is to complete the project and have it displayed prominently as a reminder of the commitment of our entire community to continue bringing attention to domestic violence, support every single victim, and to never stop fighting to eradicate it.
If you or someone you love has become a victim, you can reach our Victim Services Unit directly at 740-833-2710. You don’t have to have an actual case to speak with one of our advocates. We will help you determine your needs and connect you with the most valuable community resources. As always, if you are in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Melissa A. Schiffel is the Delaware County prosecutor.
