LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)- In the late 1970’s, women’s advocates started the battered women shelter movement.
It spread across the nation and evolved into family justice centers and batterers intervention programs to put a stop to domestic violence.
Ralph Peters, director of the Family Violence Intervention Program or FVIP in Lafayette runs a batterer intervention program and other services to to help victims and batterers.
After 30 years in law enforcement, he retired and joined the fight against domestic violence.
Peters says domestic violence cases are, “Increasing in number unfortunately some of that may be because of increased awareness rather than increased amounts of crimes committed because domestic violence like sexual assault is underreported.”
According to Peters, “In most states unless it is a felon or misdemeanor, domestic violence has a statue of limitations that’s usually a year so they won’t be able to be criminally prosecute most of those.
Peters says that’s why programs like his exist to target the core of the problem through a 26-week long intervention program that clients pay for.
FVIP Peter’s says is for men and women who either get convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence or, “Referred to us by the family court as a condition of their protective order.”
So how effective is the program?
Peters says “It’s very effective. Our recidivism rate is 6%, so 6% have gone thru and come back for a second or third.
A good measurement of the programs success says Peters. “That’s a great number. the recidivism rate across the nation without any intervention is about 60% and with batterers intervention program it’s about 30%.”
He says the numbers matter most when lives are saved, recalling the worst case he’s seen actually made local and national headlines.
Nearly five years ago in November of 2013, the family of a missing Lafayette woman, then 29-year-old Bethany Arceneaux, rescued her and killed her abductor, 29 year old Scott Thomas.
Thomas, the father of Arceneaux’s then 2-year-old son, confronted her at a daycare center, forced her in his vehicle and drove away leaving their son in her car.
Thomas took her to an abandoned home where two days later, members of her family found her, broke down a door, fatally shot him and got her out to safety.
She had been stabbed several times, but survived.
Peters says the best case he’s worked, “Was 26 weeks succesfully completed, didn’t return – I’d like to think of those as very successful.”
Peters also says it is critically important for the community to be aware and supportive of programs like FVIP for both victims and batterers.
He says the non-profit struggles with financial support, receiving a small grant from the city and over 90% of funding from fees they collect from clients.