INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – As the country practices “social distancing” and staying home when possible, it is important to recognize not everyone is in a safe environment inside their house. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office put out a detailed list of precautions people living with their abuser can take now.
You can find those resources by visiting, www.womenslaw.org. The big ways to stay safe include:
- Be aware of signs he/she is becoming violent.
- Try to remove yourself/children if violence may happen.
- Be aware of any weapons/sharp objects around the home.
- Figure out your home’s safe place where no weapons are in reach.
- Don’t run to where children are if abuse starts.
- If you can’t escape abuse, dive into a corner, curl up in a ball and protect face and head by putting arms around the sides and wrapping fingers together.
- Do not wear scarves or jewelry as those could be used for strangulation.
If a young person is experiencing child abuse, they need to tell a trusted adult immediately. If they do not know a trusted adult to tell, they can call the 24/7 help line at 1-800-422-4453.
There are more resources on child abuse available at www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/.
If you or someone you love, needs a protective order – you can file for those online now. FOX59 spoke with Hon. Heather Welch, a Marion County Superior Court judge, on Monday. She confirmed the protective orders in place now will not expire until the courts are back in session for hearings, probably toward the end of April.
“That would be on a case where somebody filed a protective order, we granted it ex parte and scheduled a hearing, we are rescheduling those hearings and extending those protective orders through the next hearing date,” Welch explained.
Right now, people can go online and fill out the necessary paperwork for protective orders. You can find that website here, www.in.gov/judiciary.
“The court system has set up a process where judges will rule on it electronically,” Welch explained. “When those folks file the protective order they should check whether they want an email notice or a text message, and they will receive that once the court rules on their request. They will also receive a notice once the civil sheriff serves their request if it has been granted.”
If for some reason the website is not working, you can also go to one of these resources for help:
Prevail
1100 S 9th St Ste 100
NOBLESVILLE, IN 46060
Phone: (317) 776-3472
Web: www.prevailinc.com
Salvation Army Ruth Lilly Women & Children’s Shelter
540 N Alabama St
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317-637-5551
Sheltering Wings
PO Box 92
Danville, IN 46122
Phone: 317-745-1496
Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault
9245 North Meridian Street, Suite 227
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46260
Phone: (317) 624-2370
Coburn Place Safe Haven
604 E 38th St
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46205
Phone: (317) 923-5750
Web: www.coburnplace.org
Desert Rose Foundation
PO Box 1754
Martinsville, IN 46151
Phone: 765-342-7673
Web: www.desertrose.cc
Domestic Violence Network
9245 N Meridian St
Indianapolis, IN 46260
Phone: 317-872-1086
Web: www.dvnconnect.org
Families First
615 N Alabama St
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317-327-2480
Web: www.familiesfirstindiana.org
Julian Center
2011 N Meridian St
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: 317-920-9320
Web: www.juliancenter.org
Beacon of Hope Crisis Center
6920 S East St Ste B
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46227
Phone: (317) 731-6140
After the request is made and goes into a queue, Welch said the handling of the request depends on whether it is attached to a dissolution or a paternity case. If it is connected, it either goes to the appropriate civil court or paternity division of circuit court. If there is not a paternity or dissolution case attached, then two specific judges review the petitions, rule on them and issue orders.
“I have alerted all of my colleagues in the paternity division, the circuit court judge and our magistrates that they need to be monitoring those queues for those protective orders,” Welch responded.
