June 16, 2008 Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center - 2007 Play video

In Newburyport, Massachusetts today -- a celebration. A domestic violence prevention organization -- the Jeannie Geiger Crisis Center -- was named the latest "Champion in Action."

In recent years the Geiger Center has changed its approach to preventing domestic violence. The change was motivated by a terrible and traumatic event in 2002. We should let you know, given the topic of domestic violence, this story is not easy to watch.

NECN’s Leslie Gaydos has more on tonight’s Champion in Action. --

For 25 years the staff at the Jeannie Geiger Crisis Center has provided help and counseling for victims of domestic violence in the Newburyport, Massachusetts area. But in March of 2002, the Geiger Center was forced to rethink its approach after the murder of an Amesbury, Massachusetts woman .

"She was a mother of two girls, a part-time cheerleading coach, a wonderful woman."

Dorothy Guinta Cotter was also a victim of domestic violence.

In a court affidavit the month before her death...she documented 20 years of abuse at the hands of her husband, William Cotter. She detailed assaults, Cotter's threats to kill her, his abuse of their children -- and the many times she tried to leave .

She wrote, “He has specifically told me over and over that if i ever leave him he will come and find me and kill me. I am still very afraid of him today and what he will do to me. "

Dorothy Cotter took out a restraining order

and a Geiger Center lawyer was helping her get a divorce. She was in counseling, when William Cotter came into her house in violation of a court order.

He held her hostage, and their daughter ran upstairs to call 911. He then shot and killed dorothy and shot and killed himself. It was all recorded.

911 tape: Hello, Mr. Cotter? Do you have a weapon? Cotter: Yes, I do. 911: Ok, sir, I have units outside the house. Can you put down the weapon? Cotter: No, no, I'm going to talk to Dorothy. I'm going to talk to Dorothy, all right? 911: I know, sir. But listen, if they kick the door down someone is going to get hurt real bad. Cotter: All right. 911: Exactly sir... Cotter: Let them know. I'll let them know... (gunshots) (screams) ... Police, police... (Screams).

Kelly: “Everybody was rethinking everything because she was one of those clients who did everything that the system asked of her. She got the restraining order, worked with her local police. We did everything we knew how to do at the time -- every part of the system did everything we knew how to do at the time -- so in that tragedy we had to ask, ‘How did the system not work for Dorothy?’ “

The Geiger Center created a team to protect victims at high risk for being murdered. It is made up of police, probation officials, staff from the Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, and members of a batterers’ intervention program. They meet regularly and share information about potential victims and how to protect them.

“Often that woman hasn't hit our radar screen, but there has been a police call to her house. Police are our top community partners in this project. They bring cases to the table all the time of women we have never heard of.”

The team takes a new approach -- keeping the victim in her home and community while monitoring the abuser

“The high risk team is a perfect way to help improve the criminal justice response to batterers and let the courts and police hold him accountable in a new and different way, and let her stay in her community, surrounded by her friends and family and as part of her church. Let her stay employed and let them do their job to keep her safe and let us provide the support that she needs to let her move on.”

In a few cases, officials have used technology often used to track sex offenders -- GPS monitoring. The high-risk domestic violence offender wears an ankle bracelet. If he enters an exclusion zone, an alarm goes off and probation officials alert police and the victim. So instead of receiving a 911 call when the offender is in the house or kicking the door down, authorities can intervene before it is too late.

“Homicides occur most often after the victim has left the relationship. Once she leaves, the first year is a very dangerous time for her. And so by providing GPS and enhancing the monitoring of high-risk offenders during that dangerous time, we are able to sort of provide some safety.”

“What we are doing is restricting the liberty of criminals who assault their partners -- better than to infringe on the liberty of the victims. By making them move far away, by placing them in situations where they can't have access with phones, where they have to be in at a certain time, I think it is a very important message to send to batterers that we as a community, we as a system...we are going to collectively hold you responsible for that.”

In its first two years, the team has succeeded. It has identified 42 high risk cases -- only two of those men re-assaulted. The program recently won a national violence prevention honor. And Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has held the program up as a model.

“What's really wonderful about the Jeannie Geiger Crisis Center and one of the reasons I am most proud is, I think that for a long time, we have created solutions that are innovative, that are constantly calling ourselves and our partners on the carpet. ‘Ok, we did okay here. What can we do better, and how can we do better?’ “

“How do you feel when someone comes back and says, ‘This really worked for me.. I'm great and my kids are great and life is good it feels amazing.”

“The work is amazing and very awarding and it is truly a wonderful thing to know you have made a difference in the lives of women and children.”

For honoring the memory of Dorothy Cotter -- for ground-breaking work protecting victims of domestic violence, the Jeannie Geiger Crisis Center is our Champion in Action.