OXNARD : Family Violence Conference Planned

The Ventura County Domestic Violence Task Force plans a daylong conference Oct. 30 for physicians, attorneys, social workers and other professionals who work with victims of family violence.

“Shattered Trust: A Conference on Family Violence,” which will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Financial Plaza Hilton in Oxnard, is open to interested members of the public. The cost is $25 in advance, including breakfast and lunch, and $30 at the door.

The conference, sponsored by a coalition of public and private nonprofit agencies, will feature six workshops on domestic violence issues.

One workshop, entitled “Clemency for Battered Women: the California Experience,” has already sparked interest, said Marty Bolton, director of crisis services for Interface, Children Family Services, one of the agencies on the domestic violence task force.

The workshop will review a recent trend of attorneys seeking acquittals or reduced prison sentences for women convicted of killing abusive male partners, Bolton said.

“We’re hearing and seeing so much in the media about women who have been convicted of killing their husbands and it turns out they were protecting themselves against violence,” she said.

Another workshop will focus on how medical professionals can recognize and treat children and pregnant women who are being physically abused.

The Ventura County Domestic Violence Task Force, which is sponsoring the conference, is spearheaded by the district attorney’s office and includes representatives from police and social service agencies, lawyers and physicians.

To register for the conference or for more information, call Bolton at Interface, 1-800-339-9597.