Pennsylvania Family Law Blog

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, in a partnership with Verizon Wireless, four Public Broadcast System (PBS) stations hosted community events across the state of Pennsylvania during the month of October. The events were aimed to help promote awareness of the different options and services accessible to at-risk individuals and domestic violence victims. Events will continue into November, but every American should take time, no matter the month, to see what each one of us can do to help bring to light the seriousness of domestic violence.

According to PR Newswire, prominently featured throughout the events was a screening of “Telling Amy’s Story,” a documentary that chronicles the events that led to the death of Amy Homan McGree, whose husband shot and killed her, leaving behind two children. The film was created by Penn State Public Broadcasting and has aired on PBS stations across the United States. The film was shown on WQLN on October 6, on WHYY on October 12, on WLVT on October 21, and will be shown on WQED in Pittsburgh on November 18. For more information about past and future events, please visit http://www.telling.psu.edu/.

Domestic violence can affect anyone, regardless of race, religion, age, or gender. While studies show that 23.6 percent of women have reported at least one episode of violence by an intimate-partner in their lifetime, men can also be victims of domestic violence. It is estimated that in every 100 situations involving domestic violence, about 40 cases, or 40 percent, involve violence by a woman against a man.

In a recent study released by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), while there was a drop in violent crime in 2009, fatalities that were related to domestic violence increased significantly. The study shows that those deaths increased to over 22 percent from 2008, and almost 49 percent from 2007. According to The Patriot News, there were 121 domestic violence-related deaths in 2007; 147 in 2008, and 180 in 2009.

Peg Dierkers, the Coalition’s executive director, believes the bad economy of the U.S. is one of the main reasons for the increase in domestic violence-related fatalities. She notes that control and power are two hallmarks of abuse, and an abuser who loses their job may feel they have less control over their lives, causing them to lash out. Dierkers also notes that Pennsylvania cut the budget for domestic violence services by 2 percent for the 2010 year.

If you or someone you love has been a victim of domestic violence in Pennsylvania, help is available to you. The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz will fight to protect your rights in a court of law. Our Pennsylvania domestic violence lawyers represent victims of domestic violence across the state. If you are considering divorcing your spouse because of domestic violence, contact our office at 610-645-0100 for a free telephone consultation.

A timeonline.com article reports that a former Beaver County mother was sent to jail for up to six months for violating court orders when she took her son to Turkey without legal permission and then did not return until four years later. The woman had ignored multiple court orders demanding that she return her 11-year-old son to Beaver County.

When the couple initially separated in 2006, the mother was granted primary custody and the father was given visitation rights. Later that year, the mother took their son to Turkey for a vacation but did not return, despite a court order that stipulated they had to be back by the end of summer.

Subsequently, courts in both Pennsylvania and Turkey ruled that she was in violation of the custody order and was required to return to Beaver County with her son. She and the boy returned in late January 2010 so that she could attend a contempt hearing. The judge granted the father temporary primary custody and the mother was sentenced to jail.

It is not uncommon for parents to want sole custody of a child after a separation. There are many reasons a parent might be compelled to keep a child away from the other parent. If domestic violence or child abuse is a factor, there are legal avenues to pursue to protect the child. Whatever the case, spiriting a child out of state or out of the country only complicates the matter, and as in this case, may work against the parent who is trying to maintain full custody.

While all custody disputes have a measure of complexity, cross-state and international cases are particularly difficult. The experienced Philadelphia child custody family lawyers at Sheryl R. Rentz are equipped to defend your rights as a custodial parent and to safeguard the well-being of your child. Please call the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz for a free and confidential evaluation.

Source:http://www.timesonline.com/bct_news/news_details/article/1504/2010/february/02/mom-jailed-over-custody-dispute-could-be-released-friday.html