GASTONIA, N.C. — A new space for domestic violence survivors in Gaston County is designed to make them feel safer at the courthouse, and police are also getting new training to better protect people from domestic violence suspects.
It is still a work in progress, but District Attorney Travis Page told Channel 9’s Ken Lemon that he sees something more than the struts and wires.
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“I think of hope. We are literally building hope for Gaston County here on the fifth floor of this courthouse,” Page said.
This 4,600-square-foot space promises to be very different than the other four floors.
“Spaces throughout this building that are catered and designed to accommodate and work with criminals,” Page said.
“We want this courthouse, this building, to be a trauma-informed space for survivors of domestic violence,” Page said.
It will house offices for prosecutors, two courtrooms for family court, and a space for Hope United Survivor Network.
When the floor is complete, domestic violence victims will have an escort from the courtroom doors to their offices.
“A very open space that is specifically designed for them and their trauma. What you will find when this is done is they almost look like little living rooms,” Executive Director Tara Joyner said.
She said this will become a safe space for victims to find help and to share painful stories that lead to justice.
“Battered women and children who witness abuse can feel comfortable disclosing the trauma that they’ve endured,” Page said.
State funding covers $9.5 million of the $16 million cost for renovations. The rest comes from the county. That includes some improvements in services.
Hope United and the DA’s office have increased training for law enforcement on a danger assessment for domestic violence suspects. The assessment is designed to identify dangerous offenders and do more to protect victims, starting with the call for help.
“All strangulation cases are now going to high-risk team,” Joyner said.
Police were also trained on how to engage medics to provide free medical treatment to survivors during domestic violence calls.
It’s a new program in Gaston County that started last month.
“We never want the cost of care to be a barrier,” Joyner said.
Advocates say this is part of a massive shift towards reducing domestic violence incidents and helping victims.
“This has been a dream come true,” Joyner said.
The new Family Justice Center is slated to open late spring or summer of next year. That’s when Hope United moves from offices they say provide little privacy to a space built for survivors.
Next week, Elizabeth Smart will speak at fundraiser for domestic violence victims in Gaston County. Her case was not domestic violence, but she made national headlines when she was kidnapped and held as a prisoner for nine months. She’ll speak in support of survivors at Hope United’s “Threads of Hope” event next Friday.