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PARKERSBURG -- A local woman will be speaking about her experiences with domestic violence and abuse at a conference in Washington, D.C., in September.
Anna Cunningham of Parkersburg will be participating in an educational panel at the U.S. Capitol Building dealing with aspects of family rights. The panel discussion will be attended by federal lawmakers and other officials who help to shape federal policy.
The panel is part of a series of events in the nation's capital Sept. 8-12, including the Mother of All Rallies, the Families Belong Together Rally, and America Will Stand Up For Its Children 2.
Cunningham will be speaking Sept. 10 on the East Lawn outside the Capitol and in the South Congressional Meeting Room in the Capitol on Sept. 11-12
She spoke at the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness Rally at City Park in April. She spoke about her own experiences of being sexually assaulted at 13 years old in 1991 and eventually ending up in an abusive marriage from 1995 to 2012, and beyond with harassment and intimidation, Cunningham said. She also talked about her struggles with the legal system and how her experiences still impact her to this day.
''West Virginia has no Victims' Rights Bill on the books,'' she said. ''Crime victims in the state of West Virginia have no rights. That must change and that must end. The time is up.''
The justice systems plays a "catch and release" game where abusers are arrested but quickly released, Cunningham said.
Police officers have been hurt and killed in responding to domestic violence calls, she said.
Each time someone is arrested and goes back home, the cycle of violence gets worse, said Damaras Mann of Coshocton, Ohio, who will also be speaking in Washington, D.C.
''When the offender is released, they are (upset) and when they go home, the violence is twice as bad,'' she said. ''There is a good chance one of those women will end up killed.''
There are times that violence spills over and is directed at police officers, Mann said.
''I love police officers,'' Cunningham said. ''They have been there for my family when an emergency call was made.''
An off-duty Wood County sheriff's deputy, who is now retired, helped Cunningham pack up her items to get away from her abuser.
''If people love the Blue Line, and I do, something needs to be done,'' Cunningham said. ''We need to fix this.''
The conference will be streamed online. Spots will be set up outside around the Capitol for people to watch the proceedings.
Democrat and Republican lawmakers from the state and federal level have been invited to participate, said L. Wilson, a child victims advocate based in Ohio. She is involved in the national organizations For The Children and the Punished for Protecting The Children.
Wilson said they will be discussng issues such as DACA, domestic violence, sexual assault, child protective service, and the "Me Too" movement.
''There are a lot of good families being torn apart here in the United States,'' Wilson said.
''We will be covering the lack of taking care of rape victims,'' she said.
Representatives from Bikers Against Child Abuse will be speaking and providing support to a child who will be speaking at the conference, Wilson said.
''Those who have suffered the injustices within the state are being given a platform to voice and bring attention so our elected officials who will be attending these events will be able to make changes,'' Wilson said. ''These issues are in all 50 states. We would like Americans to step up and say, 'enough is enough.'''