Kidnapping Victim Issues Statement

PRESS RELEASE- Roberta "Bobbi" Caskey and Advocates for Family Peace Statements Regarding
Timothy Caskey Federal Criminal Case.

Advocates for Family Peace (AFFP) has been serving battered women for many years in Itasca county and recently in northern St. Louis county since 2012.

Domestic violence is violence perpetrated by and between a family member or a significant other in a dating relationship.

The most common form of domestic violence is called "battering."

Battering is defined as the attempt to control the thoughts, actions, and beliefs of another through coercion, psychological abuse, intimidation, physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse.

Most of the domestic violence victims that AFFP have served have been victims of battering.

Roberta Caskey, who was kidnapped by her estranged husband Timothy Caskey as she walked down a Virginia street on July 14, 2011 testified yesterday at a federal criminal hearing as the victim provides the following statement:

"I have been affected by Timothy Caskey's violence in so many ways. I have lived with anxiety and fear from him for too long. I now have a hard time just even walking outside alone and have a very difficult time trusting men. I am hoping for justice for myself and all of the other battered women on the Iron Range who suffer. It was a long and terrifying experience when it happened. I did not know if I would ever make it back home alive to see my children ever again. It has also been a long and anxiety filled experience awaiting for justice for what Timothy Caskey did to me. During our relationship I was hurt by him emotionally and physically in too many ways to describe.
I am looking forward to justice being served and then moving on in making my life and the lives of my children peaceful and happy. I want other battered women to know that there is help for them that is free and confidential. I first received help from Range Women's Advocates (RWA) and now Advocates for Family Peace who took over when RWA closed awhile back. My advocate Emily has been there for me the entire time. Emily and Advocates for Family Peace provided the support that I needed. My children and I need community support by not judging me but by being there when we need you to be, through compassion and kinds words and gestures."

Too often battered women tell Advocates for Family Peace staff that their family members, friends, and those they know in their community are not helpful to them and judge them by making statements such as: "You should have moved after he violated the restraining order,""Why not call the police sooner?""Why didn't you leave him?" There is a clear message that the community sends battered women when they hear these statements: "It's your fault too,""You could have stopped him,""You are to blame too for what he did."

Advocates for Family Peace stands with Roberta Caskey and all battered women like her on the Iron Range to state:

NO MORE violence
NO MORE silence
NO MORE blaming victims

Check out: nomore.org to see how you can join AFFP in our work to say NO MORE.

When our community blames victims of domestic violence they are also supporting abusers. Orders for Protections, calls to the police, and leaving don't always stop abusers. Battered women need support thru referrals to domestic violence programs, help watching their children while they work to stay safe and words of encouragement as they find way to stay safe when they don't have resources. According to the CDC's data and the experience of Advocates for Family Peace executive director Melissa Scaia:

"The risks can increase when a battered woman leaves the abusive relationship. The abuser may begin to feel he is losing her forever and increase his tactics of violence. A battered woman is at risk of being a victim of stalking, attempted murder, or murder after leaving an abusive relationship even when they have called the police before and have a restraining order. By helping battered women directly or by contacting Advocates for Family Peace to find out how to help you are providing her the support her and her children need."

The office of Advocates for Family Peace serving northern St. Louis county is at 2125 East 2nd Avenue Suite 44 in Hibbing, MN (located behind the Hibbing Daily Tribune). Staff will travel to all parts of northern St. Louis county to assist victims of domestic violence and their children. The phone number of the office is 218-263-8344 or 1-800-909-8336. Victims of domestic violence and local law enforcement agencies can also call these numbers for assistance after office hours to reach an on-call advocate.