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As Woodridge tragedy shows, pregnancy won't protect you from domestic violence

As we saw with this week's tragic murder-suicide in Woodridge that claimed the life of a 7-month pregnant woman and her unborn baby, being with child won't protect a woman from an abusive partner.

In fact, some experts say, it can make matters worse.

“If abuse is happening before the pregnancy, it's going to get worse after the pregnancy,” Rebecca Darr, CEO of Palatine-based WINGS, told us Thursday.

In the Woodridge case, police say, Shedrick Pryor, 32, shot and killed his wife, 24-year-old April Pryor, Monday before turning the gun on himself. April had fled to Woodridge to stay with a family member after a domestic dispute with her husband several days earlier, authorities said.

The murder is all too familiar for those who deal with or track domestic violence. In Illinois, homicide was the second-leading cause of unnatural death for pregnant women between 2002 and 2014, according to the state Department of Public Health. And a study by the World Health Organization found that being pregnant actually increases the likelihood that domestic violence turns deadly.

An estimated 324,000 American women experience some form of abuse during pregnancy every year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Why and what to do

Darr, whose organization is the one of the largest domestic violence service and housing providers in Illinois, said the motives for violence against a pregnant woman are really no different from the motives for most domestic violence. It's about power and control. Being pregnant, however, can exacerbate an abuser's need for control and escalate tensions between partners.

“It sounds crazy, but there's jealousy,” Darr said. “The child is going to take away attention from (the abuser).”

Pregnant or not, anyone experiencing domestic violence needs to get out - but not without first seeking help and formulating a plan to escape safely. That can start with a call to WINGS' 24-hour hotline: (847) 221-5680.

Darr said it's also crucial for hospital staffs and obstetrician-gynecologists be trained to identify abuse. WINGS does that training through a decadelong partnership with Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.

“You want to be able to ask the questions in such a way that you get the right answers,” she said.

  Comfort dogs visited downstate Washington after a tornado ripped through the community in 2013. Now, comfort dogs will visit with witnesses and crime victims as part of a new partnership between the McHenry County state's attorney and Masonic Association of Service and Therapy Dogs. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com, 2013

Canine comfort

Therapy dogs have long been a staple at the scenes of natural disasters, mass shootings and other large-scale traumatic events.

Now they're making their way into our courthouses.

The McHenry County State's Attorney's Office is teaming with Lake County-based Masonic Association of Service and Therapy Dogs to provide therapy dogs for witnesses facing the stress of testifying.

McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally

“Testifying or having to answer questions from lawyers regarding frightening, humiliating or intensely private circumstances of a crime is asking a lot of a victim or witness, especially if we are talking about children,” State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally said in announcing the partnership. “I have personally seen how disarming and soothing a therapy dog can be, offering companionship and comfort without judgment.”

Besides helping to put witnesses at ease, the dogs also might help build stronger cases. Kenneally's office notes that witnesses with lower stress and anxiety find it easier to tell their stories.

We're No. 4

With a never-ending state budget mess, some of the highest property taxes in the nation, alarming levels of violence in our largest city, and lousy spring weather to boot, it seems Illinois doesn't have much going for it these days.

Unless, perhaps, you're a police officer.

At least that's what the finance website WalletHub says. According to the site, Illinois is the fourth-best state in the country to work as a police officer.

That's in no small part because our cops get the highest median pay in the country, when adjusted for cost of living. Illinois also ranks high when it comes to the amount we spend on police protection compared to other states.

The best places to be a police officer, according to WalletHub? North Dakota, Connecticut and New York. The worst? Louisiana, Arkansas and Alaska.

Batavia Deputy Police Chief Shawn Mazza

Congratulations

When we have to know what's going on in Batavia, Detective Sgt. Shawn Mazza has been one of our go-to guys. So we applaud him on his promotion this week to deputy chief of the department. Mazza, who has worked for Batavia since 1999, most recently was supervisor of the investigations unit.

Now hiring

The FBI has openings. And not just for the job at the top.

The agency is launching a Diversity Agent Recruitment program in select parts of the country, including the Chicago area.

To find out more or apply, visit FBIjobs.gov and click on “Apply to jobs.” Then select “Talent Networks” and click on “DAR Chicago Talent Network.”

If you can make it through all of that, you might qualify to be an agent. Some applicants will be invited to an information session on Wednesday, July 12, in Chicago.

Got a tip? Send an email to copsandcrime@dailyherald.com or call (847) 427-4483.

Police: Woodridge husband shot pregnant wife before killing himself

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