A's roommate arrested!

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
A's roommate arrested!
2
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 4:20pm

From post yesterday about my best friend getting beat up (literally) by her estranged roommate, has been arrested.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-07-2003
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 6:09pm
The police were pretty helpful in my situation too. They tried to get Sean to hit them when he wouldn't do anything to me in front of them. The first time I went to file charges the girl behind the desk was so mean and looked at me like I was a bug. After I went home and had to call the police again because Sean tried to throw me out of the house and down the steps they were pretty ticked off with me for letting him off the hook. He also had a bruise on his arm from where I bit him when he tried to throw me. They told him that was too bad for him. They did make me leave the house for my safety even though I didn't want to because he was destroying the place and they said technically that wasn't illegal. Then when I finally filed the charges that night with a woman who was much nicer and more helpful (the actual commissioner) they came over right away and arrested him. I only waited five minutes. I don't think they believed I would make him stay away. I went through with it though, got the RO, and I haven't let him come back to the house except with the police to pick up his things. I don't think anyone expected I would really stand firm. I'd like to call those police officers from that night and tell them he's really gone. And thank them for not taking their time getting over there and for taking the situation seriously.

However, I know it isn't like that for everyone. I've seen some women on here talk about how shabbily they were treated by the law (like that first woman at the court house). It makes it that much harder to come forward. You are ashamed enough to be in that situation where you let someone use you and then to have people look at you like you are scum makes it worse. After the way that woman treated me at the court house. When she wouldn't answer my questions and she talked to me like I was stupid...I don't know if I would have gone back to the court house and followed through if the police hadn't come back and if my mother hadn't made me. I think some officers and other officials need some sensitivity training. I used to say it...why would she let him do that? It's partly her fault for staying. But, it's so much more complicated than that. I know that now. I've had my sensitivity training. Police and judges need to have the same thing. Sorry for rambling.

Jen

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Tue, 04-13-2004 - 6:42pm

Jen, you're absolutely right about officers sometimes not knowing what to do or how to act in regards to DV.

CL-Blueliner4