Collaboration makes effort to spread domestic violence awareness

During a press conference on Dating Violence and Domestic Violence, Hays County District Attorney Wes Mau shared a text message exchange between two teenagers he recently discovered. 

One teenager said that they couldn’t sleep at night and was having trouble at school because their father was going into their brother’s room at night and beating him. The other teenager suggested informing the police about the situation. 

“This is something that all families go through,” the teenager responded. “It’s not something I should be calling the police about. It’s just something I want to complain about.” 

“The point of that is this person is a victim of domestic violence — her brother certainly is,” Mau said. “And she doesn’t even know it because in some families, in some circumstances, this is an accepted way of behavior … This is an issue that is not a law enforcement issue. We can respond, we can make it illegal and we can respond to it. But if we want to stop it, it has to stop with the people in the room. It has to stop by making people aware.”

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Hays County is continuing its collaboration with the school districts around Hays County to increase awareness about relationship violence. 

San Marcos High School was represented at Monday's domestic violence press conference by athletic director Mark Soto, senior football players AJ Gonzales (44) and Takai Madgett (6), head volleyball coach Michelle Moreno, senior volleyball player Jordan Helbig, cheer coach Jessy Lee and cheerleaders Sylvia Peralez and Elyssa Caldera.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Monday morning at the Hays County Government Center to announce its joint effort with the sheriff’s office, San Marcos Police Department, Texas State University Police Department, Kyle Police Department, Buda Police Department, Dripping Springs High School, San Marcos High School, Lehman High School, Jack C. Hays High School, Wimberley High School, San Marcos Academy and the Hays Caldwell Women’s Center. 

“(Today) is a somber reminder that we have a problem,” said Lieutenant Dennis Gutierrez, Hays County Sheriff’s Office Community Services Division. “October is National Dating Violence and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Our goal every year is always centered on finding new ways to address this ongoing issue. We’ve all seen the national attention with athletes who are being charged with domestic violence. But that doesn’t go anywhere in comparison to what we have in our hometown with our own victims and our problems within Hays County.” 

“In an effort to educate our community on this national problem, we engage the help of our youth,” Gutierrez added. “We are in partner with our local football teams, volleyball and cheer teams to kick off our community discussion.” 

According to statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by a partner in the United States. One in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence by a partner. 

According to the sheriff’s office, area high school football players will wear the national symbol representing the campaign, a “Purple Ribbon,” on their helmets during the 2019 football season. Additionally, cheer teams and volleyball players will wear shoestrings with purple ribbons during October. Volunteers will attend a designated football game to distribute informational brochures discussing dating and family violence awareness. Domestic Violence awareness announcements will be made before and during the games. 

"No one should have to live in these situations,” Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler said. “We turn to our student athletes to help us because student athletes are leaders on their campuses, leaders on the football field on Friday nights and across school campuses. We turn to you to help us end that violence.”