Release #093-97

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today honored the memory of Galina Komar, who was fatally shot one year ago by her boyfriend, Benito Oliver. Joining the Mayor at the City Hall ceremony were Asya Komisarchik, Galina's mother, Galina's daughter, Tatjana, and Maria Mitchell, advisor to the Mayor for Domestic Violence.

"There are terrible tragedies that stir the public consciousness and demand action," Mayor Giuliani said. "A year ago the tragic death of Galina Komar galvanized our entire City against the outrage of domestic violence. Galina was senselessly taken away from us in an act of savage brutality. Although she cannot be with us physically, her powerful and enduring legacy lives on."

The Mayor continued, "For the past three years, our City has worked to increase public awareness and to implement more training and coordination for law enforcement and health care professionals. Galina's tragic death helped to bring domestic violence out from behind closed doors and in the process helped thousands of women in their struggle against abuse. Her memory will always serve as a powerful and poignant reminder for us to remain vigilant in the battle against domestic violence."

Galina Komar came to America from Russia with her mother when she was just 14 years old. Galina dreamed of a better future in New York City and had worked hard all of her life to make her American dream a reality. On February 12, 1996 , Galina was murdered by her boyfriend, Benito Oliver, at her workplace. Despite a long criminal history and two orders of protection Komar filed against him, Oliver had been allowed to walk the streets as a free man.

Over the past three years, New York City has been a pioneer in the area of family violence, advancing new and innovative solutions that empower victims and help them break the cycle of abuse. On October 31, 1996, Mayor Giuliani released "Public-Private Solutions to Combat Family Violence: Mayor Giuliani's Colloquium Group Report," which contains over 40 new initiatives to combat family violence. The report, which has been endorsed by 50 prominent private and public partners, recommends expansion of the Mayor's campaign against domestic violence beyond the limits of City government to include a public-private partnership and a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to this pervasive problem.

• A comprehensive Police Department strategy to break the cycle of domestic violence including dedicated domestic violence officers and investigators in each precinct, a computer tracking system and an intensive, ongoing training program to ensure adherence to the New York Police Department's (NYPD) pro-arrest policy for domestic violence-related crimes.

• A domestic violence protocol for every municipal health care facility including dedicated domestic violence coordinators in each facility, training for all hospital staff, and the collection of data for a joint Health & Hospitals Corporation (HHC)/ Department of Health (DOH) Domestic Violence Surveillance Program.

• Trained counselors from Victim Services are available around the clock on the City's first 24-hour, multilingual, dedicated Domestic Violence Hotline to offer emergency counseling and referrals to all New Yorkers, including the hearing-impaired.

• The Citywide Domestic Violence Public Education Campaign has been widely displayed throughout the City's transportation system, and public service announcements have been aired on radio.

• By 1997, shelter bed capacity will have increased by 40% under the Giuliani Administration, while innovative alternatives to domestic violence shelter, like the Alternative to Shelter Pilot, have offered victims of violence new safety options.

• Project L.I.F.E. (Legal Initiative for Freedom and Empowerment) has increased victim access to free, trusted legal services through a partnership with 17 private law firms.