‘Domestic Violence’ Killed 3 Mass. Men in 2001

Wives Killed by Husbands in Same Period Was Four

February 2002

The number of deaths from “domestic violence” was down in Massachusetts in 2001, according to newly released figures.

The numbers show that three men were killed in domestic disputes by women last year while four women were killed by their husbands.

A total of 15 people were killed by what has been labeled “domestic violence.” This compares with a total of about 125 persons who are murdered from all causes each year across the state.

“These numbers show that the millions of taxpayer dollars spent each year by DSS and the courts to ‘protect’ women are a huge political payoff,” said Earl Sholley, an officer of the Fatherhood Coalition.

“The Boston Globe says it hopes that sometime soon there won’t be any more names of victims to report, but who are they trying to kid? There will always be some violent men and some violent women. The only reason there are more deaths of women is because the men are physically stronger. All the latest research shows that women are just as violent.”

One of the Boston groups that compiled the statistics, Peace at Home, agrees. It says that violence at home is committed by people who are violent everywhere, not just at home. Its founder and Executive Director, Stacey Kabat, says, “People who commit domestic violence are often violent in general. A past record or history of assault, fighting, or abuse is a sign that they think violence is a way to solve problems.”

Sholley responded, “It has become absolutely clear that violence in the home is not a problem of violent men. There are just as many violent women as there are men, and we will never solve our problems until we realize that as a society.”

Social Workers Don’t Recognize Marriage

The state’s social workers, who are mostly women, do not recognize marriage as an important institution. They lump all men and women who live together as “partners.” When they issue their reports on “domestic violence,” they include all people who are “partners” regardless of whether they are married.

There were eleven women murdered last year in Massachusetts under their definition of “domestic violence.” Seven were killed by boyfriends and four were killed by their husbands. Of the three men who were killed, two were boyfriends and one was a husband.

The statistics were compiled by the women at two state- and federally-funded organizations, Jane Doe Inc. and Peace at Home, which are supported by tax dollars in an expensive effort to protect women from abuse. Their statistics were reported by the Boston Globe in a long editorial on Monday which said that the number of deaths from “domestic violence” has gone down.

“Sadly,” said the Globe, “this progress could not protect everyone. So we respectfully publish the names of victims with the hope that some year, soon, there will be no names to print.”

Although everyone who lives together becomes a “partner” in the eyes of the state, there appears to be no definition of how long they must stay in that relationship in order to get that title of a “partner.” Whether a person in a “one-night stand” would qualify as a “partner” is unclear.

Does Jane Doe Inc. Get Millions in State Funding?

Jane Doe Inc. is closely affiliated with the social workers at DSS and undoubtedly gets large sums of money from that state agency. On its website which is currently being revamped, Jane Doe Inc. has this bold headline which includes DSS: “Welcome to Jane Doe Inc.’s and the Massachusetts’ Department of Social Services Statewide On-Line Resource Guide.”

The amount of money that goes to the militant Jane Doe Inc. from DSS and other government sources is impossible to discover because they don’t want anyone to know. But there have been glimpses now and then.

• During the state’s budget crisis in 1999, the Boston Globe revealed that just one grant from the state to Jane Doe Inc. that year was for $450,000. It was for “teenagers affected by date rape.”

• Also in 1999, the state paid $100,000 to consultants, including Jane Doe Inc., just to plan an expensive postal system for getting private mail to those women who file for restraining orders without anyone knowing their whereabouts. In addition, the bill required that the Secretary of State consult with, and pay, Jane Doe Inc. while running the system.

A Different Study

The results of a domestic violence study that was conducted in a court in Gardner over the last four years were reported by Steve Basile of the Fatherhood Coalition last May in testimony on Beacon Hill. He says his work shatters the myth that men are mostly batterers and women are mostly victims.

His research involved an examination of nearly 400 Restraining Orders issued by Gardner District Court in the year 1997. He reports that 64% of female plaintiffs, commonly known as “victims,” responded that they sometimes initiated physical attacks upon their partners.

His research, which was done at great effort and personal sacrifice to him, shows that females and males were almost equally abusive in terms of psychological and physical aggression.

Basile also indicated how Jane Doe Inc. has been able to stop a large part of his research, with the help of the state – because they know the results will be detrimental to their agenda.

Two of Basile’s papers are currently under review for publication, the first of which was presented in July at the University of New Hampshire at its Seventh International Family Violence Research Conference, sponsored by the Family Research Laboratory and the Crimes Against Children Research Center, both of UNH. It is scheduled to be printed in the Journal of Family Violence.

All of Basile’s work has been done at his own expense whereas both Jane Doe Inc. and Peace at Home get large amounts of state and federal aid to fund their projects.

His research also shows that the way the law is applied “heavily favors” women plaintiffs. He also testified, “Male plaintiffs were substantially more likely to have a decision on their case deferred, or to be denied. No male plaintiff was able to salinger.long-term custody of his children.”

Power of Jane Doe Inc.

Basile claimed that Jane Doe Inc. was able to thwart much of his research because of its political power.

“Unfortunately, Jane Doe Inc., a battered woman’s group, distorted our intentions and lobbied key legislators to stop this initiative.

“As a result, three separate pieces of legislation [desired by them] were filed, and eventually two became law. One filed by Attorney General Thomas Riley pulled address and phone information out of the public domain. One filed by Senator Jacques did the same thing, but also set up an elaborate and probably costly, virtual mailbox system, coincidentally developed in consultation with Jane Doe, preventing even court officials from having direct access to victims.

“At no time did any battered woman’s advocate or legislator contact us to ask about our research design. To ease concerns we even sent a letter to Jane Doe, suggesting use of their own volunteers to conduct the survey. We got no response and the attacks continued. After intense negative publicity, and concern for my own well being, the well being of my family and the well-being of my volunteers, I decided not to continue the survey. We completed only 30.

“We were certainly not the first researchers to conduct a domestic violence victim survey in Massachusetts. It was until recently, common practice. But those in power, with political agendas of their own, did not like who we were, or more importantly, what questions we were asking. Unfortunately, as a direct result of this research, it is now much harder for all to do domestic violence research in Massachusetts. This hurts fathers, their children, and even domestic violence victims, the very people who these advocates are trying to help.”

Another Group With Extreme Dislike of Men

It is unclear what causes the women at Jane Doe Inc. to have such an extreme dislike of men. The name of the organization was Battered Women’s Resource until around 1997. There is presently a Jane Doe Press on the Internet which is a lesbian book publishing company that keeps its location a secret.

“No one wants violence to happen to anyone, particularly in the home,” said Sholley, “but this system which is dividing the state by gender is horrendous.

“The men who are protesting their treatment by the social workers at DSS and in the courts are mostly dedicated fathers who are distraught at seeing their children being destroyed by the extremists in the state government. It is difficult to understand why no one cares about these children.”

Previous in-depth stories can be found in the MassNews Archives in the issues of October 1999 and June 2001.

Sidebar:
Guns Not Used in Murders

Despite the tremendous concern these days about the use of guns, only two of the 15 people who killed their “partner” in 2001 used a gun to do so. Eight of them stabbed their victims with a knife and the other five beat or strangled the victim.

The three women who murdered all used knives.

This caused observers to comment that violent people will not be stopped from their intent even if they have only their hands to commit the violence.