I have to say that I am very disappointed in the response received from The Herald regarding the death of Clella Colson in Lake Stevens. (Wednesday article, “Victim asked court to lift order.”)
Ms. Colson’s attempts to have the order lifted is not uncommon with domestic violence victims. In fact, it is very typical. Victims will stay or go back to a relationship for a myriad of reasons, which include, but are not limited to:
* Fear of retaliation
* No place to go
* No job to support themselves or their children
* No support systems
* The victim grew up in a domestic violence household and does not see this as an abnormal relationship
* The victim does not identify as being a victim
* Religious reasons
* Cultural reasons
Although alcohol may be a factor in this case, it is not the cause of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a learned behavior and a choice.
Alcohol is used as an excuse to justify why domestic violence is committed. The headline, “Victim asked court to lift order,” appears to indicate that the victim is responsible for Mr. Van Allen’s behavior which resulted in her death. I argue that Mr. Van Allen chose to disregard the court’s order to stay away and chose allegedly to put a “sleeper hold” on the victim, which resulted in her ultimate demise.
Snohomish County ranks third in the state for domestic violence fatalities. I am unclear, when presented with this statistic, why we refuse to educate and voluntarily choose to blame victims instead of placing the blame where it belongs: on the person who committed the crime.
LISA M. AGUILAR
Legal/Community Services Manager
Snohomish County Center for Battered Women
Everett
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