POLICE CHARGING POLICIES & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - Native ...

This situation is allayed somewhat when sufficient evidence of an assault has beengathered. It is also helpful when police can testify instead of the victim. One aboriginalpolice force stated:"There are a lot of incidents where we lay charges of assault on the husband andthe wife will not appear in court. Consequently, charges will be stayed or dropped."If intoxicants are involved, abused aboriginal women may later want the chargesdropped for a number of reasons, including the fear of retaliation, the date of the trial, orbecause there are too many adjournments. Sometimes, the legal process impedes itsown function of a speedy trial with too "many adjournments."h) Shame and Stigma Attached to Reporting Spousal AbuseNative Justice ResponseThe environment in which aboriginal women live and their segregated living situation inisolated, rural and urban aboriginal communities also contributes to their reluctanceand/or ability to call police. In some cases, a woman's reluctance was based on the"stigma attached with a wife reporting a spousal assault" and the ensuingembarrassment.Police ResponseBecause of the small communities in which they live, aboriginal women fear beingbeaten again. If the husband goes to jail, there will be no family income. There is astigma attached to an aboriginal woman who reports her husband for abuse, particularlyif he goes to jail.i) Problems Living in an Isolated CommunityNative Justice ResponseWhen aboriginal communities politically and silently support abusive men they alsoostracize aboriginal women and wives who lay the charges. The abused woman has nochoice then but to leave her community. If the woman does not want to leave hercommunity, she must ask that the charges be dropped. This is particularly true in small,isolated and remote communities. This problem is made worse when these communitiesdepend upon circuit courts which come only periodically.Pg. 23