Welcome to the Town of Foxborough

Foxboro police patch

Foxborough Police Department

40 South Street
Foxborough, MA 02035
Phone: 508-543-4343
Fax: 508-543-1243

Domestic Abuse Resources

If you or a friend are experiencing domestic violence, there are groups and organizations available to help. You are not alone.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)

1-800-787-3224 TDD

This is a 24-hour-a-day hotline staffed by trained counselors ready to provide immediate crisis intervention assistance to those in need. Callers can be connected directly to help in their communities, including emergency services and shelters as well as receive information and referrals, counseling and assistance in reporting abuse. This is a vital lifeline to anyone - man, woman or child - who is a survivor of domestic violence, or who suspects that someone they know may be the victim of abuse. Calls to the hotline are confidential, and callers may remain anonymous if they wish.

Information for individuals and their friends, families, and employers wanting to learn more about domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, intervention programs for batterers, working through the criminal justice system, and related issues; and referrals to battered women's shelters and programs, social service agencies, legal programs, and other groups and organizations willing to help.

New Hope, Inc.

1-800-323-HOPE
1-800-323-4673
24-hour hotline
Emergency shelter
Legal advocacy
Support groups/Individual counseling

DOVE is a organization that operates in Norfolk County. They provide shelter, outreach services, counseling, education, advocacy, and a host of other programs and services to help those impacted by domestic violence.

Resources in the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office

Wrentham District Court Domestic Violence Unit (508) 384-3788

Norfolk County District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit (781) 830-4800

Victim Witness Assistance Program (781) 830-4800

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Massachusetts 209A Abuse Law

Your Rights

You have the right to appear at the District Court, Probate and Family Court or Superior Court, if you reside within the appropriate jurisdiction, and file a complaint requesting any of the following applicable orders:

1. An order restraining your attacker from abusing you;
2. An order directing your attacker to leave your household, building or workplace;
3. An order awarding you custody of a minor child;
4. An order directing your attacker to pay support for you or any minor child in your custody, if the attacker has a legal obligation of support, and;
5. An order directing your attacker to pay you for losses suffered as a result of abuse, including medical and moving expenses, loss of earnings or support, costs for restoring utilities and replacing locks, reasonable attorney's fees and other out-of-pocket losses for injuries and property damage sustained.

For an emergency on weekends, holidays, or weeknights, the police will refer you to a justice of the District Court, Probate and Family Court or Superior Court departments.

You have the right to go to the appropriate District Court to seek a criminal complaint for threats, assault and battery, assault with a deadly weapon, assault with intent to kill or other related offenses.

If you are in need of medical treatment, you have the right to request that an officer present drive you to the nearest hospital or otherwise assist you in obtaining medical treatment.

If you believe that police protection is needed for your physical safety, you have the right to request that the officer present remain at the scene until you and your children can leave or until your safety is otherwise ensured. You may also request that the officer assist you in locating and taking you to a safe place, including but not limited to a designated meeting place for a shelter or a family member's or a friend's residence, or a similar place of safety.

You may request a copy of the police incident report at no cost from the police department.

Massachusetts General Laws, Ch. 209A, S. 6 (1990)

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Safety Strategies For Domestic Violence Victims

These safety strategies have been compiled from safety plans distributed by state domestic violence coalitions and local domestic violence programs around the country. There is no guarantee that if you follow all, or some, of these strategies that you will be safe; however, implementing these strategies could help to improve your safety situation.

Personal Safety with an Abuser

1. Identify your partner's use and level of force so that you can assess danger to you and your children before it occurs. If an abusive situation seems likely, try to diffuse your partner's anger. Swallow your pride, if necessary, and agree with your partner to avoid an episode of violence.

2. Try to avoid an abusive situation by leaving. Go for a walk, and let your partner cool down.

3. Identify safe areas of the house where there are no weapons and there are always ways of escape. If arguments occur, try to move to those areas.

4. Don't run to where the children are as your partner may hurt them as well.

5. If violence is unavoidable, make yourself a small target; dive into a corner and curl up into a ball with you face protected and arms around each side of your head, fingers entwined.

6. If possible, have a phone accessible at all times and know the numbers to call for help. Know where the nearest pay phone is located. Know you local battered women's shelter number. Don't be afraid to call the police.

7. Let trusted friends and neighbors know of your situation and develop a plan and visual signal for when you need help.

8. Teach your children how to get help. Instruct them not to get involved in the violence between you and your partner. Plan a code word to signal to them that they should get help.

9. Tell your children that violence is never right even when someone they love is being violent. Tell them that neither you nor they are at fault or cause the violence, and that whenever your partner is being violent, it is important for them to keep themselves safe.

10. Practice how to get out safely. Practice with your children.

11. Plan for what you will do if, for instance, your children somehow tell your partner of your plan or if your partner otherwise finds out about your plan.

12. Keep weapons like guns and knives locked up and as inaccessible as possible.

13. Make a habit of backing the car into the driveway and keep it fueled. Keep the driver's door unlocked and others locked for a quick escape.

14. Develop the habit of not wearing scarves or long necklaces that could be used to strangle you.

15. Have several plausible reasons for leaving the house at different times of the day or night.

Getting Ready to Leave

1. Keep any evidence of physical abuse, such as pictures, etc., in a safe place that is accessible for you.

2. Know where you can go to get help; tell someone you trust what is happening to you.

3. If you are injured, go to a doctor or an emergency room and report what happened to you. Ask that they document your visit.

4. Plan with your children and identify a safe place for them (for example, a room within your home that has a lock or a friend's house where they can go for help). Reassure them that their job is to stay safe, not to protect you.

5. Contact your local battered women's shelter and find out about laws and other resources available to you before you have to use them during a crisis.

6. Keep a journal of all violent incidences involving your abuser those aimed at yourself and those aimed at others.

7. Acquire job skills as you can, such as learning to type or taking courses at a community college.

General Guidelines for Leaving an Abusive Relationship

1. You may request a police stand-by or escort while you leave.

2. If you need to sneak away, be prepared:
Make a plan for how and where you will escape, and include a plan for a quick escape;
Put aside emergency money as you can;
Hide an extra set of car keys; and
Pack an extra set of clothes for yourself and your children and store them at a trusted friend or neighbor's house. Try to avoid using next-door neighbors, close family members and mutual friends, if at all possible.

3. Take with you a list of important phone numbers of friends, relatives, doctors, schools, etc., as well as other important items, including:
Driver's license;
Regularly needed medication;
Checkbooks and information about bank accounts and other assets;
List of credit cards held by self or jointly, or the credit cards themselves if you have access to them; and
Pay stubs.
If time is available, also take:
Copy of marriage license, birth certificates, will and other legal documents;
Verification of social security numbers;
Citizenship documents (passport, green card, etc.);
Titles, deeds and other property information;
Welfare identification;
Medical records;
Children's school records and immunization records;
Insurance information; and
Valued pictures, jewelry, or personal possessions.

4. Create a false trail. Call motels, real estate agencies, schools in a town at least six hours away from where you actually are located. Ask questions that require a call back to your current house in order to leave numbers on record with your abuser.

After Leaving the Abusive Relationship

1. If getting a restraining order and your abuser is leaving:
Change residence locks and phone number as soon as possible;
Change your work hours and the route you take to work;
Change regular route you use to take your children to school;
Keep your copy of the restraining order in a safe place; Inform friends, neighbors and employers that you have a restraining order in effect; and
Always call the police to enforce the order even for is the slightest violation.

2. If you leave:
Consider renting a post office box for your mail or using the address of a friend;
Be aware that addresses are on restraining orders and police reports and can be accessed by your abuser;
Be careful to whom you give your new address and phone number; and
Change your work hours if possible.

3. Alert school authorities of the situation, and the fact that a restraining order is in place.

4. Consider changing your children's schools.

5. After you leave, reschedule any appointments that your abuser was aware of before you left.

6. Shop at different stores and frequent different social spots than you previously frequented so your abuser will be less likely to find you.

7. Alert neighbors of your situation, and request that they call the police if they feel you may be in danger.

8. Talk to trusted people about the violence.

9. Replace doors with solid-core wood, steel or metal doors. Install security systems, if possible.

10. Install a lighting system that lights up when a person is coming close to the house (motion sensitive lights).

11. Tell your co-workers about the situation; ask their assistance in screening all calls you receive during office hours.

12. Explicitly inform your children's caretakers about children who is allowed to pick up the children and that your partner is not allowed to do so.

13. Call your telephone company about "Caller ID." Ask that your phone be blocked, so that if you make the phone call, your partner nor anyone else will be able to get your new, unlisted phone number.

All rights reserved.
Copyright 1995 by the National Victim Center. This information may be freely distributed by electronic communication, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this copyright notice, but may not be reprinted or distributed by any other means without the express written consent of the National Victim Center.

Webmaster Pattiann Malynn
Appreciation to Chris Huyler for his help.

This page last updated 04/07/03