Group Debrief

Individual Reflections

Lydia

Being able to talk to Mr. K really helped me learn a lot more about our topic in general. I think a large part was just that we had talked to previous people about the topic, so we had more questions that we could ask him, as well he was very open to talking to us about many subjects. He was also just a great resource when it came to what to expect with a domestic violence case, including the process of trying to get a victim to take the stand, what might drive people to abuse another, and the troubles that come with most cases. We were also able to watch a couple hearings about assault, one about domestic violence and one about assault and battery. Being able to see part of this process in person and being able to see both victims and defendants really humbled me and reminded me that this happens all the time and with people we interact with on a daily basis.

We also learned a lot when we spoke to Sg. Cappuchi. Even right off the bat that there are around 3-5 calls for domestic violence each night was really hard to take, as well as some of the stories he told us. There are two takeaways that I got from his talk. The first one is that there really is no difference between the cases when it comes to socio-economic, whether is be what is happening or how frequently it is. While we’ve been told that multiple times, hearing it from a first responded who has dealt with this for so long really made me understand. The second takeaway is that while we should definitely teach people about signs of domestic abuse and how common it is, learning the laws, especially for first catching the abuser, it very important because it allows people to know what they can or cannot have against the other person.

Catherine

I thought that today was one of the most informative and influential days. We were able to speak with Mr. Karcasinas generally about the legal process that victims go through when they are abused as well as how the district attorney helps in this process. When asked what message he thought we should bring back to SM, he told us that awareness was the most important thing that we could spread which was very similar to the other responses that we have gotten. However, what I thought was more influential than our meeting with Mr. Karcasinas was seeing the hearing of a man who was charged with domestic abuse and who had a long list of extremely violent dismissed charges. Seeing the victim (who refused to testify) and the abuser (who looked both nice and normal) as well as how the judge interacted with each of them in different ways was really eye opening. In addition to meeting with the DA, also had the opportunity to speak to Sgt. Cappuchi - a detective and head of the domestic abuse unit at the Shrewsbury police station. I felt that this interview gave us the most complete overview of how DV cases are handled as police officers are often present at each step. They also have the most contact with both the victims and the abusers. After speaking with Sgt. Cappuchi, I realized that this issue is prevalent among all races, socioeconomic households, and ages which means that there should be education in all schools and among many people.

Skylar

I enjoyed talking to Mr. K because he was able to tell us a lot about the court process for victims and how policy may or may not support them in their cases. It was also interesting because he knew a lot about a wide variety of topics related to how the court and the District Attorney's office handle cases of domestic abuse. While not being able to record him—see Ms. Millet's notes, above, for resources from our interview—was a bit of a hassle at first, it also allowed the conversation to, in a way, flow more freely, as the group was less worried about sounding "incorrect" and more concerned with getting ideas across. Domestic abuse cases are all different from each other, and Mr. K was also sure to emphasize this while also talking about how they are different. After our interview, were able to watch a few hearings regarding assault and battery, as well as one about domestic violence (assault and battery, sexual assault, etc.—all of the cases were dismissed). It was particularly interesting and informative to be able to see these cases and realize that there's not a "type" of abuser—they look like normal people, because they're normal people. Overall the entire experience of going to the Worcester Court House was incredibly informative and honestly one of my favorite experiences.

In addition to going to the Court House, we also had the opportunity to interview Sergeant Cappuchi. He is now a detective and the head of the domestic abuse unit at the Shrewsbury police station, but prior to this he worked as a first responder to all sorts of cases. I found this interview incredibly eye-opening in that he was able to attest that domestic abuse effects families and couples of all socioeconomic backgrounds. He also had many specific examples, which he was happy to share with us, and I think this really pushed the point of how common all sorts of domestic abuse are (parents and children, spouses, teenage couples in dating violence, etc.). Furthermore, because first responders have a lot of contact with both victims and abusers both in the initial moment and afterward (if they go to trial and press charges or petition for a restraining order), Sergeant Cappuchi had a lot of insight into how the law genuinely tries to help victims. I think it was really interesting to hear a different perspective, especially considering how Sergeant Cappuchi seemed to be very focused on the here-and-now while other people we interviewed wanted to emphasize the role of education (authorities/officials, high schoolers, college students, etc.) in ending domestic abuse and dating violence.