CeaseFire is a group in Illinois that works to eliminate violence in troubled Chicago neighborhoods. The director of the anti-violence program is now being accused of acting violently toward his own wife. According to Cook County prosecutors, the CeaseFire director punched and kicked his wife after an argument.
According to the CeaseFire director’s wife, this is not something that has occurred before. They have been married for seven years and there has never been any domestic violence. The incident left her with bruises, a cut on her neck and a swollen lip. She is planning to seek an order of protection.
The director is currently on administrative leave with pay and is facing a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery. He has a previous conviction of misdemeanor domestic battery against a different woman.
Domestic violence can be in the form of physical violence, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or psychological abuse. Anyone may become a victim of domestic violence including spouses, intimate partners, children, family members or other cohabitants.
Someone who is afraid of violence or abuse from someone else in the home may seek an order for protection. Orders of protection can ban an abuser from having any contact with the victim, prohibit an abuser from purchasing a firearm or even order them to move out of the home they occupy with the victim. An order of protection can also stop an abuser from coming within a certain distance of the victim, as well as the places where the victim lives and works. Someone that violates an order of protection may be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor or felony.
Victims of domestic violence are not without hope. There are legal options available to help keep them safe now and for the future, as they work to recover physically and emotionally from the abuse.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “CeaseFire director charged with domestic battery,” Alexandra Chachkevitch, June 2, 2013