Oct. 31, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman MAT-SU - October is designated as the month for Domestic Violence Awareness, and this year, as last, a man in the third judicial district killed his intimate partner in October.

Kelly Kompkoff, 24, died Oct. 22, from stab wounds police say her husband, Matthew Kompkoff, 24, inflicted. Last year on Oct. 25, Brandie Burns, 26, and Ashton Burns, 7-weeks, died at the hands of the man who was her partner and the baby's father.

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control cited a 2002 national study that determined 29 percent of women and 22 percent of men have suffered physical, sexual or psychological intimate-partner violence. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed lower numbers for men.

The CDC survey broke down reports along racial lines, and found 24.8 percent of white females, 28.6 percent of non-white females, 7.5 percent of white males and 10 percent of non-white males reported incidents of violent behavior by their partners. However, numbers for Alaska Native women and men are even higher, at 37.5 percent and 12.4 percent respectively.

Domestic violence happens in Alaska more frequently than in any other state, according to Donn Bennice with Alaska Family Services. And in Alaska, the Mat-Su Borough ranks first in the number of calls per capita, he said.

One shelter with 32 beds in Palmer serves as a refuge for women, including women with children, fleeing the threat of violence in their homes. The Dorothy Saxton Shelter in Wasilla has 10 beds available for boys and girls between 12 and 18 who need respite from their homes. There are no shelters set up for adult males who are victims of domestic violence.

Male victims have a greater stigma, said Betsy Woodin, outreach coordinator with AFS. Woodin said she didn't know of any domestic violence services offered specifically to men.

“Men fleeing abuse usually get services through different programs,” she said. “The numbers are so low.”

But anyone, regardless of gender, can call the domestic violence crisis line any time of day, any day of the week, Woodin said.

The crisis line number is 746-8026, and a toll-free number is 866-746-4080.

There are about 20 domestic violence programs around the state, Woodin said. The AFS crisis line takes calls from other areas, including Valdez - the town closest to Tatitlek, where Kelly Kompkoff was stabbed. In towns such as Valdez, where there are no shelters, people may have individual safe houses to serve people in need. Trying to get away from a violent or threatening family situation can be especially difficult in villages, where the victim and perpetrator know everyone, she said.

“They may be afraid to get a protective order,” she said. “And transportation can be a problem.”

In the case of Kelly Kompkoff, troopers received a report about the stabbing at 11:30 p.m. Twelve hours later, after she was taken to Valdez by boat, treated at the hospital, loaded onto a flight to Anchorage for further medical care, Kelly Kompkoff died. Matthew Kompkoff is in jail in Valdez.

Another option for victims of domestic violence who are physically isolated from supportive friends and family, but who have access to the Internet, is to log on to the Domestic Violence Project at www.growing.

com/nonviolent. The site provides an abundance of information and links to other resources. Information on AFS is available at www.akfrc.

org/index.html, and AFS services specific to issues surrounding domestic violence is available at www.akfrc.

org/dvsa.html. The Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault is www.andvsa.org.

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.