Sexual Violence

What hath "The Silence of the Lambs" wrought?It was inevitable, when that film swept the 1991 Academy Awards, that a bevy of imitators would begin to clog the production pipeline, the drain screen of which let "Seven" escape onto screens in 1995.As if that particular abomination weren't enough, another has slipped through Hollywood's dubious quality-control system. "Kiss the Girls," an adaptation of the James Patterson novel directed by Gary Fleder, takes sadistic crypto-sexism to new depths (which happen to be attractively appointed with Gothically dripping candles and Craftsman sconces)

The 1994 Violence Against Women Act has done tremendous good in stepping up prosecution of domestic violence, aiding victims and increasing awareness of a too-often silent threat to our society. But the act was allowed to lapse in 2011 amid partisan bickering. On Tuesday, the Senate sent a strong signal by voting to reauthorize the law by an overwhelming 78-22 vote, but its survival in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is, sadly, far from certain. VAWA, as the law is called, aids in the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women and allows for civil redress in cases that prosecutors choose to leave unprosecuted.

The audience peers in at the world of "Ruined" as if through the chinks of a boarded-up window. Our eyes adjust gradually to the light inside Mama Nadi's brothel in the Belgian Congo. We notice that though the paint is chipped and worn, the furniture still contains traces of once-vibrant reds and peacock blues. (Alexander V. Nichols designed the evocative set.) We notice that a prostitute so brutalized by soldiers that she walks with a limp still dresses in breezy chintzes that drape sinuously over her lovely limbs.

There are many lessons parents could learn from the ghastly death of Phylicia Barnes ("Johnson guilty in Barnes case," Feb. 7). Though the media and the justice system were taken to task by the victim's family when she disappeared, the beautiful young woman, it seems, was not under the watchful eye of her parents. Encouraged by her adult, irresponsible and egregious sister, Ms. Barnes was engaging in dangerous sexual activities with a far older man than she. This man ultimately killed her and disposed of her body.

The seven female students at the Maryland Institute College of Art could have predicted the reactions when they sought donations for their production of The Vagina Monologues. "What did you just say?" The Vagina Monologues is the 6-year-old Broadway play by Eve Ensler that celebrates female sexuality. It is being rolled out in Baltimore this month and at hundreds of colleges across the country as a fund-raiser to stop sexual violence against women. The title is untoward enough that some banks, restaurants and hotels, while generous, want to record their donation as simply "a benefit at MICA."

Local men will don their finest and highest-heeled shoes Saturday, April 14 and walk down Main Street in a symbolic gesture of support and solidarity as part of SARC's 4th annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes. Registration for the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Bel Air Armory at 41 N. Main St., Bel Air. This year's honorary chair is Harford County Council President Billy Boniface. To register to walk and to build your own team, visit SARC's website, http://www.sarc-maryland.org . The walker registration fee is $25 per walker (non-tax-deductible)

Hearing Thursday on county budget A public hearing will be held Thursday to give residents a chance to make comments and funding recommendations for next year's county budget. The session will begin at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Fallston High School, 2301 Carrs Mill Road and will be attended by County Executive David R. Craig and top members of his administration. Those unable to attend are encouraged to send suggestions in writing to Craig, Harford County Government, 220 S. Main St., Bel Air 21014.

MOSUL, IRAQ -- A second Iraqi woman emerged yesterday leveling charges of rape against Iraqi security forces, further breaking an entrenched taboo here about disclosing sexual violence and further undermining public perceptions about the security forces. The Sunni woman alleged that Shiite soldiers raided her house in the northern city of Tall Afar, interrogated her and raped her repeatedly while videotaping their actions. She said the soldiers also threatened to assault her two teenage daughters before one of them intervened.

Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend has announced $1.2 million in grants from the federal Violence Against Women Act that will fund 43 programs for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in Maryland.The grants were announced Tuesday at the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Academy in Dundalk, where Townsend introduced a statewide sexual assault training curriculum to more than 100 law enforcement officers and victims' advocates.Those at the seminar learned the new standards for proper police response to incidents of sexual violence.

It is a welcome change that as we begin Women's History Month, world leaders are giving attention to violence against women. Gender-based violence is rampant across the globe, and yet governments' responses remain appallingly inadequate. Violence against women is a public health issue and a human rights issue affecting society as a whole. Progress is visible on a variety of fronts. Representatives from U.N. member states and civil-society organizations are meeting in New York this week and next to discuss "the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child" - the theme of this year's Commission on the Status of Women.

SARC, a non-profit right in the heart of Harford County, feels not only "liked", but loved! SARC was nominated by a local Liberty Mutual personal insurance agent, Lee Tayson, to participate in the "Like My Community" program, where SARC had the chance to win $30,000 based on the number of votes they gathered. On Aug. 20, after two months of online and mobile text voting, SARC came in third place, which qualified them for the $30,000. Since 1978, SARC has provided hope and resources to victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse and stalking.

SARC has been selected by Liberty Mutual to participate in the "Like My Community" program, which raises awareness of local charitable organizations and the services they provide. Through Aug. 20, people can vote for an organization they feel worthy of $30,000 in funding from Liberty Mutual. SARC is the only organization in Harford County chosen to participate. Since 1978, SARC has provided hope and resources to victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse and stalking.

Local men will don their finest and highest-heeled shoes Saturday, April 14 and walk down Main Street in a symbolic gesture of support and solidarity as part of SARC's 4th annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes. Registration for the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Bel Air Armory at 41 N. Main St., Bel Air. This year's honorary chair is Harford County Council President Billy Boniface. To register to walk and to build your own team, visit SARC's website, http://www.sarc-maryland.org . The walker registration fee is $25 per walker (non-tax-deductible)

Reports of sexual assaults at the Naval Academy doubled last year, the fourth straight year the number has increased, according to the Defense Department. But do the findings of the Pentagon report on sexual harassment and assaults mean that such incidents are on the rise in Annapolis? Or do they show that midshipmen have grown more aware of sexual assault and are more likely to report it to authorities? Academy officials and critics alike hope it's the latter — but say it is impossible to know for certain.

As the application deadline loomed for vendors who want to participate in a fundraising event in Bel Air next month, Hazel U. Hopkins fretted that a favorite caterer might have forgotten to sign up. So she drove an application to the business in Kingsville, waited for the owner to fill it out and then returned it to the offices of SARC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending domestic violence, in Bel Air. That kind of go-the-extra-mile determination...

The audience peers in at the world of "Ruined" as if through the chinks of a boarded-up window. Our eyes adjust gradually to the light inside Mama Nadi's brothel in the Belgian Congo. We notice that though the paint is chipped and worn, the furniture still contains traces of once-vibrant reds and peacock blues. (Alexander V. Nichols designed the evocative set.) We notice that a prostitute so brutalized by soldiers that she walks with a limp still dresses in breezy chintzes that drape sinuously over her lovely limbs.

A lady friend, who went to Seton High School in the 1960s, remembers a fine arts course where one of the nuns announced on a spring afternoon, "Today we'll be looking at paintings from the Renaissance period. There will be a few paintings where women are not fully clothed. Those of you who feel uncomfortable with this will be allowed to leave the room."We think tenderly of such overprotectiveness now and wish to make our own innocence retroactive. At Notre Dame Prep, we discover a little belatedly, they've been showing their young ladies a porno movie that disguises itself as a documentary.

Anti-abuse center to offer training Sexual Assault/Spouse Resource Center Inc., Harford County's service provider for victims of domestic and sexual violence, will offer a 30-hour volunteer training session beginning Jan. 17. The nonprofit agency provides the sessions for new volunteers and staff, offering training in the dynamics of domestic and sexual violence and techniques for crisis response. The training program is conducted over six days: Jan. 17, Jan. 19, Jan. 21, Jan. 24, Jan. 26 and Jan. 28. Tuesday and Thursday sessions are from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday sessions are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center's volunteer needs include help with the agency's telephone support program.

The Sun investigation into police "unfounding" of rape cases in the city has brought an important issue to the forefront. As a pediatrician, I became aware of this practice two years ago when I received a call from the mother of a 14-year-old patient who wanted to bring her daughter to see me for a pregnancy test. Two weeks earlier, her daughter had been taken to an emergency department after she reported being forced to have intercourse by another teenager. When the police arrived after being called by physicians, the patient was questioned and told that her case was not rape because she did not fight back enough.