By Staff
Jonathan Willis
HALEYVILLE – Attorney General Troy King stood before a group of local law enforcement officials Tuesday and spoke of the horrors of domestic violence.
He described the little girl whose life was forever shattered at the hands of her own grandfather.
He told of the woman who chose not to push for more jail time for the man who assaulted her. She said she had rather take her chances with him out of prison and risk him finding her, rather than putting her trust in the court system.
"It's time to say, 'not in my state," King told the group of judges, district attorneys and law officials who gathered in Haleyville Tuesday.
Safeplace held their annual Judges' Appreciation Day Tuesday for law enforcement officials from Franklin, Lawrence, Marion and Winston counties.
Suzanne Swaim, who works the six county area of northwest Alabama for Safeplace, said the event represents a firm stand on stopping domestic violence,
"It shows we have zero tolerance for domestic violence," she said.
King told local officials that Alabama has taken several steps in recent years to maximize punishment for sex offenders, particularly those whose victims were children.
"I believe there are lives that will be saved because of the people in this room," King told the crowd.
"I dream of a day when there is no need for Safeplace anymore. But there are too many lives, too many futures at stake for any of us to stop working to end domestic violence.
"We can't stand down and we can't rest. The state of Alabama should not be an accomplice to this."