They are the most recent examples of a startling statistic. Children witnessed about 2,400 of the about 5,800 reported incidents of domestic abuse in Kansas City in the last year, said Sgt. Kate Ellis of the Kansas City Police Department's domestic violence section. Police, prosecutors, social service agencies and battered women's shelters began a task force earlier this year to focus on these children. The task force works under the auspices of the Jackson County Domestic Violence Community Council.
Children can be an important element in convicting domestic abusers.
By the time the trial comes along, we may not have the participation of the victim. So we have to have all the evidence that we can so we can prosecute the case. Lisa Fleming, a social worker at the Rose Brooks Center, a residential shelter for battered women and their children, said she supported using children as witnesses if they were capable of handling it. The counseling support needs to be in place to support that child. Above all, we need to make sure kids are safe.