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FOCAL POINT: “Paper Thin Promise”
New WRAL Documentary Examines Domestic Violence and the Use of Protective Orders Airs June 14 at 7:00pm
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Domestic violence protective orders are supposed to protect victims from their abusers, but in many cases they don’t and sometimes they can even inflame an already volatile situation. WRAL’s new Focal Point documentary “Paper Thin Promise” looks at why protective orders often fail to protect victims by examining the nature of domestic violence. It airs Wednesday, June 14 at 7pm.
Since 2002 more than 300 people have been killed in incidents of domestic violence in North Carolina. Most of them were women, killed by current or former boyfriends and husbands. In many cases the killer was under a domestic violence protective order. Domestic violence advocates estimate that close to 30 percent of abusers violate orders and in many of those cases the order itself is what prompted the violence.
In an effort to understand why abusers violate protective orders “Paper Thin Promise” examines one of the most notable cases of domestic violence in our state’s recent history; the murder of 20-year-old Anitra Coburn by her boyfriend Doug Carter in Franklin County in August 1996. Carter had abused Coburn for months before kidnapping her and holding her hostage in a trailer in Franklin County. He committed the crime while under a domestic violence protective order and under conditions of bond that required him to stay away from Coburn. The program examines some of the traits that Carter shares with other abusers and why protective orders often fail to deter them. It also examines innovative and controversial approaches to make protective orders more effective. While law enforcement officers and domestic violence advocates say the orders are a useful tool, they say much more needs to be done to prevent violence and solve our state’s domestic violence problem.
WRAL News anchor Lynda Loveland hosts “Focal Point: Paper Thin Promise”.
About Focal Point
“Paper Thin Promise” is the eleventh episode in the WRAL News series called Focal Point. These in-depth news documentaries focus on a single topic, bringing depth and clarity to complicated issues facing North Carolina. From North Carolina’s economy and environment, to health care and race relations – Focal Point takes viewers inside the lives of the people most affected. Focal Point tackles the tough questions with leaders and policymakers who have the power to effect change. WRAL News anchors, including David Crabtree, Pam Saulsby, Bill Leslie, Gerald Owens and Debra Morgan, host the series. Six to eight new episodes of Focal Point will be produced each year. |
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s John Harris for this capcom story.
