More needs to be done to help domestic abuse victims: advocate

A localshelter advocateiscalling for more to be done to protect victims of abuse.

The call followsthe deaths of four women insix weeks in the Edmonton region, each believed to be related todomestic violence.

Earlier this week, CBC News revealedthat the most recent victim, Colleen Sillito, had sought a restraining order against her alleged killer, her ex-boyfriend Paul Joseph Jacob.

• Colleen Sillito 'a perfect balance of head and heart,' companion says
• Colleen Sillito sought restraining order against boyfriend before murder
• Neighbours, friends mourn Colleen Sillito, killed by ex-boyfriend
• 2 dead in shooting at Fort Saskatchewan home

"I have to say, for us, we know that a piece of paper is not going to keep somebody away," said Pat Vargas,executive director of A Safe Place Women's Shelter in Sherwood Park.

"Women do everything they think will keep them safe, which is they leave the abuser," she said"They follow the law, they get restraining orders, they contact the police. So these are women who are doing everything in their power to keep themselves and their children safe and yet somehow it does not work."

Vargas said the first step to help abuse victimsis for officials, friends and family to take their fears seriously, so that abusers are held accountable.

"We know that women are the best predictors of their safety," she said.

'Just by the fact that you are a woman, you are at risk'

According to Vargas, 75 per cent of women who access shelters in Alberta are at a "high risk of fatality." Manyhave already been threatened or hurt when they start seeking help.

"Women don't access shelters just because they had a fight with a boyfriend or their partner. They come to us when they're really afraid for their safety."

Part of the problem, she said, is that there is still a strong stigma surrounding women who try to leave an abusive relationship. She said it's important to see past the stereotypes.

"Violence against women does not have a class, doesn't have an economic background, doesn't have a race. It is really pervasive in all those areas, everywhere.

"Just by the fact that you are a woman, you are at risk."

People often fail to realize how many factors there are that may contributeto keeping a victim from leaving an abusive relatiionship when she wants to. Many don't have somewhere safe to go, Vargassaid, or are faced with the possibility of having to leave their possessions or even children behind.

"The message that we've been saying for a while is that we need to believe what women are saying to us," she said. "We need to protect them and do everything in our power as communities and neighbours and friends to keep those families safe."

Vargas said A Safe Place is nearlyalways full to capacity. Butthey will always find a room, even if it's in a hotel, for someonefleeing abuse in Strathcona County and Fort Saskatchewan, she added.

She wantsit known that the shelter does far more than just provide a roof. Staff can also help victims do risk assessments, help plan a safe exit strategy and counsel victims through the process of alerting police and dealing with thecourts.

"You don't have to come to the shelter to get help," she said. "Whenever you want to phone, there will be someone there to answer your call."