Initial Report and Recommendations - Alaska Department of Law

When domestic violence services are available in rural regions, they faceadditional challenges in maintaining security and accommodating rurallifestyles. In Alaska, none of the shelter locations are secret – thecommunities are too small to hide a facility. Maniilaq Family CrisisCenter, a victims’ assistance program and shelter in northwestern Alaska,offers a safe haven to victims and the animals that they are often unwillingto leave behind. The center uses a snowmobile to pick up clients and has afenced yard where clients can keep their dog teams and other animals.Susan Jones, the center’s executive director, takes threats against victims’pets seriously. The murder or mutilation of a pet by an abusive partner isanother indicator of escalating domestic violence. 10Statistics reported by the Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assaulthighlight the seriousness and widespread nature of the situation in Alaska: 11• In calendar year 2004 the Office of Children’s Services received 957 reports ofsuspected child sexual abuse. (Office of Children’s Services, State of Alaska)• On average, an Alaska woman is forcibly raped every 15 hours and 14 minutes.(Alaska Uniform Crime Report, 2003)• In 2004 Alaska had the highest rate of reported forcible rape among the 50 states:85.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. The next closest were New Mexico with 54.6 andMichigan with 54.2. (Alaska Uniform Crime Report, 2003)• Based on 2002 homicide data nationwide, Alaska ranked number one in thenation for females murdered by males with a homicide rate of 4.84 per 100,000.This is 3.5 times higher than the national average and 1.6 times higher than thenext highest state. (Violence Policy Center, 2004)• From December 2004 to December 2005, 686 victims of sexual assault soughtservices from victim service programs in Alaska. (Council on Domestic Violenceand Sexual Assault, State of Alaska)• 316 sexual assault cases and 295 sexual abuse of a minor cases were referred toAlaska District Attorney Offices in 2005. (Department of Law, State of Alaska)Domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, and sexual assault, especially inrural Alaska and in the Alaska Native population, represent major issues that need new,creative solutions to resolve.10 Linda Chamberlain, M.P.H., Ph.D., January/February, 2002, “The Network News,” National Women’sHealth Network, Washington, D.C. The article is available at http://www.womenshealthnetwork.org11 “Statistics on Sexual Violence: What and where to find them.” Alaska Council on Domestic Violenceand Sexual Assault. Prepared by Denise Henderson, Executive Director, March 5, 2004.Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforcement Commission - Page 9