THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 21, 1995 TAG: 9503210285
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
The crowd that stayed away from Dr. Lenore Walker's seminar on Monday spoke as loudly as the 90 or so people who listened politely to the ``first'' woman of domestic violence.
The silent protest is over Walker being slated to testify in O.J. Simpson's defense - an action that has battered-women advocates fighting mad.
``I think her theories are excellent. Her readings are excellent, and I've read them all,'' said Michael Coker, a board member of the Help and Emergency Response battered women's shelter in Portsmouth. ``But the fact that she's being subpoenaed by the defense is not helping her credibility right now.''
``In terms of her being a guru or expert for the battered women, that's not helping her,'' he said. ``That's just like Martin Luther King having an associate membership with the Klan.''
Walker, a clinical and forensic psychologist for almost 30 years, is probably best known for developing the ``battered women's syndrome.'' It revolutionized the public's and the law's view of domestic violence, helping to defend hundreds of women who killed their abusers.
She is also founder and director of the Denver-based Domestic Violence Institute, a non-profit private organization that conducts family violence research.
``She was one of the first to do interviews with battered women . . . . Nobody knew it was a problem until she gave it a name and helped us to understand it,'' said Joseph Galano, associate professor in the department of Psychology at the College of William and Mary.
``She's the kind of woman who's really dedicated. It's been her life's work.''
Dr. Lenore Walker was in Hampton Monday, conducting a domestic violence workshop for the Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology.
Sponsored by William and Mary, the Medical College of Hampton Roads, Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University, the seminar was to train and sensitize current and future psychologists about domestic abuse.
Sunday evening, Walker paid a visit to the Avalon Center for Women & Children to work with counselors and battered women.
Ever since Johnnie Cochran Jr. revealed Walker's name in his opening statement, Walker's office has been under siege.
She now keeps the front door locked to prevent reporters from barging in and has even hired a New York publicist to handle the flow of calls.
``I was looking at it (the O.J. Simpson trial) on television and once he said it, the phone lines lit up less than three minutes later,'' Walker said.
``They rang for two weeks straight. No one was able to get through.''
She said most of the criticisms have come from battered women or ``women in a lot of pain.''
Judge Lance Ito allowed her to issue a statement in regard to her testimony, which Walker said allayed some of the women's fears.
``I've told battered women that I haven't abandoned them. This is not a battering case,'' said Walker, who guesses she might be called to testify in May or June.
``This is a case about an individual who might batter, but there are no data to support he will kill, if he can be convicted on that alone.''
Some women, like Charlene Trout of Virginia Beach, still feel uncomfortable seeing her ``hero'' on the defense's witness list.
Trout had planned to drive to Hampton to get an autograph but later decided to stay home.
``This is just the perfect thing for the defense to do - to call THE Lenore Walker to the stand. What message does that send?'' asked Trout, who was once in an abusive relationship.
``So many people are confused about the whole issue of women being abused. I'm afraid this will add to the confusion.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
JIM WALKER/Staff
Dr. Lenore Walker, developer of the ``battered women's syndrome,''
conducts a domestic violence workshop Monday in Hampton for the
Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology.
by CNB