At Tuesday‘s (Oct. 4) annual reading of the town proclamation to mark October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Wilton Police Capt. Rob Cipolla acknowledged the ever-present need to continue speaking out about the subject. He told the group of people who gathered in the lobby at Town Hall that at 41 incidents of family violence in town so far in 2022, the number is the highest it’s been in the past five years.
“And that only accounts for incidents that have met that threshold of violence or threat or stalking type behaviors. That doesn’t include the myriad of calls for service our officers respond to that maybe are just verbal in nature,” he added.
First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice included other alarming statistics in her proclamation. She noted that nationally, one out of every four women (23%) has experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Even more astounding — approximately 47% of women and men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner.
Both Cipolla, a member of the Wilton Domestic Violence Task Force, and Vanderslice credited the work being done in Wilton.
“This is the largest gathering we’ve had at a Domestic Violence Awareness Proclamation, and it really shows the commitment of the town to this. It’s a testament to the work of the Domestic Violence Task Force, Wilton Social Services, and Wilton Police and first responders,” Vanderslice said.
She also acknowledged the important work being done by the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Norwalk, whose executive director, Suzanne Adam, was also at the proclamation reading. Cipolla said the town works hand-in-hand with the organization.
“Certainly we like to intervene at [a] point where we can hook [victims] up with services like the Domestic Violence Crisis Center so they can safety plan and ultimately, hopefully, prevent it from ever becoming physical,” he said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there are several resources. Contact the Domestic Violence Crisis Center at 888.774.2900 (24-hour hotline) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233).
Thank you for sharing and for pointing out that Domestic Violence is not always physical. Sadly, the abuse often continues even after the victim leaves. Post-separation Abuse, Financial Abuse, Vexatious Litigation, Smear Campaigns and Coercive Control are tactics that many abusers will continue — for years — affecting the health and well-being of the other parent but, even worse, the children. It’s critical to shine a light on this as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.