Grimy Times has learned that epidemic rates of violence against women in Indian Country have prompted Attorney General Eric Holder to launch the Violence Against Women Tribal Prosecution Task Force. The creation of the Task Force fulfills a pledge made by Holder at the department’s Tribal Nations Listening Session in October 2009.
According to Holder, tribal communities face unique law enforcement challenges and are struggling to reverse unacceptable rates of violence against women and children. ‘We know too well that tribal communities face unique law enforcement challenges and are struggling to reverse unacceptable rates of violence against women and children,’ Holder said. ‘The creation of the Violence Against Women Tribal Prosecution Task Force has been a priority for me since my visit with tribal leaders last year, and I believe it is a critical step in our work to improve public safety and strengthen coordination and collaboration concerning prosecution strategies with tribal communities.’
The Task Force is comprised of United States Attorney Deborah Gilg of the District of Nebraska, six Assistant United States Attorneys working in Indian Country, and six representatives from tribal governments. They include U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg, District of Nebraska, Chairperson; Tribal Prosecutor Diane S. Cabrera, Crow Tribe (MT); Assistant U.S. Attorney Glynette R. Carson McNabb, District of New Mexico; Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg S. Peterman, District of South Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Roe, Western District of Washington; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins, District of Utah.
In addition to the six assistant U.S. Attorneys and six tribal attorneys, the task force includes a group of advisors and liaisons from the Justice Department’s Office of Violence Against Women, health care professionals, and law enforcement officials.
The Task Force is directed to produce a trial practice manual on the federal prosecution of violence against women offenses in Indian Country within a year of convening. In the short term, the Task Force will explore current issues raised by professionals in the field and recommend ‘best practices’ in prosecution strategies involving domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
The launch of the Task Force marks another step in the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in tribal communities. This effort is driven largely by input gathered from the department’s 2009 Tribal Nations Listening Session on Public Safety and Law Enforcement, the department’s annual tribal consultation on violence against women, and from written comments submitted by tribal governments, groups, and organizations to the Justice Department.
In 2005, Congress found that one in three American Indian women are raped during their lifetimes, and American Indian women are nearly three times more likely to be battered in their lifetimes than Caucasian women.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Violent Crime|Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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