PRESS STATEMENT
Statement by Sandy Barnett, Executive Director of KCSDV
In response to guilty verdict in the Carmin Ross murder trial
Contact: Laurie Harrison 785.232.9784 (office), 785.633.9703 (cell), or lharrison@kcsdv.org
March 17, 2005 - We express our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and community of Carmin Ross. Even though her murder trial is over, we can only imagine the suffering Carmin's daughter and family will continue to feel for years to come. We are saddened by Tom Murray's act of domestic violence and the pain and anguish he has caused.
Carmin's murder is a stark reminder that we still have a long way to go to achieve a Kansas free of violence in the home. Her murder demonstrates the extreme measures an abuser will use to control and have power over another family member. In 2003, the year that Tom killed Carmin, there were 15 domestic violence murders in Kansas. Carmin becomes the 16th victim.
Eighty-eight percent of domestic violence murder victims that year were women. And the intimate or ex-intimate partners of the women are suspected of or have been convicted of the murders in 80% of the cases.
This figure is similar to other years: between 1999 and 2003, in 80% of the cases in which women were killed in domestic violence incidents, their intimate or ex-intimate partners are suspected of murdering them. And women make up 70% of the victims in domestic violence murders during those years.
Murder is at one end of the spectrum of domestic violence, which also includes physical, sexual, psychological, and verbal abuse. No community is immune.
It's important to remember that domestic violence happens every day here in Kansas. An act of domestic violence is reported to law enforcement every 28 minutes, 17 seconds in Kansas.
Help is available for victims. We urge all Kansans to remember that if they hear or see someone being hurt to call 911 immediately, and if they or someone they know needs support to call the Kansas Crisis Hotline 1-888-END ABUSE (1-888-363-2287). For a list of domestic violence programs in Kansas, visit www.kcsdv.org/ksresources.html or call 785-232-9784.
NOTE: The source of the statistics mentioned in this statement is the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
KCSDV is a statewide network of 30 domestic violence and/or sexual assault advocacy programs. KCSDV's member programs provide provide support and safety to the victims of domestic and sexual violence and stalking through direct services.
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