GOSHEN – Over 800 t-shirts with names of domestic violence victims
in Orange County lined the Route 207 side of the county government center
in Goshen on Monday as Orange County Safe Homes resumed its awareness
campaign.
Twenty-four people have died in Orange County since 2004 at the hands
of their intimate partner. (See
their names)
Safe Homes Executive Director Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier told a ceremony
that domestic violence hits all communities and all socio-economic levels.
“There is not a year that goes by that we wish that we don’t
have to add a shirt to the line. But, it’s important that we don’t
forget their names, that we remember, that we continue to do the work
in their memory and in honor of those who continue to walk every single
day in their survivorship,” she said.
For retired state trooper James “Jimmy” O’Donnell of
Goshen, domestic violence is personal in that a fellow trooper, was killed
in a domestic violence incident.
“Back on December 14, 1975, if you Google that in Sugar Loaf, New
York, the only thing that will come up is Trooper William V. McDonagh
being killed in the line of duty. He was my brother-in-law, my best friend,
married to my sister,” he said. “You have to search very deeply
that you will find out that the person that killed him, Chris Georgeades,
killed his girlfriend 10 minutes before that. Linda Manecke was a victim
of domestic violence.”
Sheriff Carl DuBois and District Attorney David Hoovler said that too
often people know of domestic violence, but do not report it. They urged
friends and relations of victims to tell the police or other authorities
to prevent another death.
Orange County has a number of services to provide to victims included
the newest, Safe Homes victims’ advocates embedded in the DA’s
Office.
County Executive Steven Neuhaus summed up those who provide services for
domestic violence victims as doing “God’s work.”
