Domestic violence victims decry legislative inaction

A domestic violence survivor who escaped from an abusive relationship when she was six months pregnant, Joy Lacanienta knows that silence helps perpetuate domestic violence in the community.

So when she noticed the car in front of her swerving, she wasn’t going to ignore someone who might need help. Then she saw the driver throw a woman out of the vehicle.

Lacanienta stopped and told the woman to get in her car. She drove up and down Nuuanu Avenue while calling police, as the woman’s abuser followed them.

When Lacanienta told the woman she wasn’t alone and that she too had survived an abusive relationship, the woman told her, “So you know how hard it is.”

“She was expecting me to shame her,” Lacanienta said.

That was five years ago, and Lacanienta, a sociology lecturer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, recalled the harrowing experience during a rally Sunday at the state Capitol urging lawmakers to pass legislation in support of victims of domestic violence.

Dozens gathered at the rally, which was organized by women’s advocacy groups. Several participants expressed outrage that state legislators have failed to pass multiple bills dealing with domestic violence during the current legislative session, which ends this week.

“We’re talking about the lives of women in the most desperate situation,” said Annelle Amaral, an advocate on domestic violence issues. “We expect that women legislators understand that. I don’t understand why now this relationship, this trust, has been shattered.”

Amaral pointed to Senate Bill 2343, which was drafted with the help of the Hawaii Women’s Legislative Caucus. The caucus met with domestic abuse stakeholders across the state last year to gather information for the bill, which would amend the offense of abuse of family or household members to allow for felony, misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor penalties; provide more effective protective orders; and establish other measures aimed at streamlining court procedures and expediting proceedings to minimize their impact on victims.

SB 2343 stalled in the House Finance Committee in March, and Amaral said she doesn’t know why the committee’s chairwoman, state Rep. Sylvia Luke, did not move the bill forward.

“Part of me wonders why some of these members ran for office,” Amaral said. “If you don’t care about your community, why did you run?”

Luke (D, Punchbowl-­Pauoa-Nuuanu) could not be reached for comment Sunday.

At the rally, domestic violence survivors spoke about their experiences in which the judicial system exacerbated their trauma, sometimes with abusers using the system against them.

Katherine Aikau, whose husband killed her 7-year-old son Reef and then himself in June, said she had sought help through the courts before the tragedy.

“No one would understand how violent my husband was,” she said. “I hope people will listen and I hope it will change.

“Unless the courts and police and Legislature change, this will happen again.”

Carmen Golay, a trainer for advocates at the nonprofit Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said about 28,000 people in Hawaii sought help for domestic violence last year. She said domestic violence is underreported because many victims are afraid or do not have the financial support to leave their abusers.

“It is bigger than we even know it is,” she said.

In addition, domestic violence often takes place in the context of drug use, human trafficking and other criminal activity, Golay said. Meanwhile, domestic violence programs are severely underfunded, and staff is underpaid.

On Sunday, Golay thanked the survivors for sharing their stories.

“You guys show up traumatized and barely breathing from a system that wants to crush us,” she said. “We’ve got to keep going.”

Powell Berger, also a domestic abuse survivor, said advocates will continue the fight for stronger legislation.

“We’re not stopping until our system supports us,” she said. “If this leadership won’t step up and take their responsibility seriously, we’ll find new leaders.

“This is urgent, this is important and we are committed to it,” she said. “They are wrong.”