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On Tuesday, September 26, 2000, Jose Barajas shot and killed his wife, Maria Luisa Mora Calderon, and then killed himself. Their bodies remained under police tarps where they fell on the shoulder of Highway 101 in San Mateo County, California, until they were removed. Maria had been beaten and had her life threatened by Jose on numerous occasions. Once she even fled to Mexico, but Jose got her and brought her back. But the abuse was not reported to police, not by Maria, not by their children, and not by neighbors who repeatedly heard Jose's violence and threats. Finally, Maria left, and after 5 months, on Monday, September 25, she told Jose that she was going to take out a restraining order against him. That infuriated him and led him to murder her and kill himself. The murder is not what was unusual about this case -- the only unusual part is the very public place in which it happened. In the United States about four women per day are killed by their partners. In San Mateo County, California, law enforcement agencies responded to 4,847 domestic violence emergencies last year. It is typical in these cases that the victim refuses to testify--in nearly 3/4 of the cases--against her abuser. In 41% of the cases the victim, like Maria, never reports the abuse to authorities. However, officers are being trained to photograph and videotape domestic crime scenes so that prosecutors can bring cases to trial without testimony from the victim. It is hard to visualize anything that makes a blacker mark against our culture than domestic violence. There is no sure-fire way to protect the innocent against it; certainly restraining orders, although they are sometimes helpful, are not effective against extreme, angry offenders like Jose Barajas. If a victim can escape to a place of safety, that is likely to be the best solution. Before leaving women should check to be sure a place of safety is available, lest they be turned away from an overflowing shelter and have to return to the scene of past crimes. In Maria's case, a local source of help for abused women, Sor Juana Ines (Services for Abused Women) could have helped her and perhaps have gotten Jose into counseling. We fervently hope that government agencies, private foundations, and charitable individuals will continue their work to cure this national illness. You can get important information about domestic violence here. In emergencies, call 911; to find the domestic violence program nearest you, call (800) 799-SAFE (799-7233). Last updated 12/19/03 |
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