Gov. Gary Locke appointed the group, chaired by Seattle Municipal Court Judge Helen Halpert, after reading about a case involving Linda David, a disabled woman who allegedly was beaten over many years while being kept in isolation on a filthy sailboat. Her husband faces assault and other charges in Snohomish County Superior Court. Until 1996, the state Department of Social and Health Services paid for his services as her caregiver. Domestic violence isn't a private matter between individuals. Government cannot solve this problem alone.
Domestic violence is everybody's business.
Locke asked the group to recommend ways to help prevent such incidents from happening to anyone else, and to reduce domestic violence in Washington. After four months of study and discussion, the group offered 41 recommendations for all citizens, for the justice system, for the social service system, and for better coordination when these systems interact. Similarly, there is resistance to the idea that people with disabilities and the elderly have a right to self-determination and control of their own lives. We must also focus on preventing violence by changing attitudes towards women, people with disabilities, and elders.