Lake County Gazette

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office announced today that it has been selected by a statewide committee to pilot a regional “Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) Team.” The team will work to prevent future domestic-violence-related fatalities and reduce the severity and frequency of domestic violence. Five regions throughout Illinois will each have one team as part of this pilot program.

The Lake County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team consists of Lake County State’s Attorney First Assistant Lauren Callinan and Executive Director of A Safe Place, Pat Davenport, as co-chairs. Chenel Vanden Berk, a Forensic Nursing Specialist at the International Association of Forensic Nurses, serves as the secretary for the team.

“The DVFR will save lives by pressing deeper into the problem of domestic violence that has plagued Illinois for centuries. Innovative and urgent approaches are the way forward to ending domestic violence, and I am so proud that our county was awarded this pilot,” said State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart.

Ms. Davenport stated, “Thank you to the State’s Attorney’s Office for partnering and agreeing to lead the State of Illinois in developing a Regional Fatality Review committee. I believe that the process of fatality review will help us learn a great deal about improving our systems.”

The Lake County DVFR Team includes 30 professionals from various community sectors who have agreed to be part of this partnership. This group includes prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, probation officers, members of law enforcement, social service providers, offender treatment providers, a Guardian Ad Litem, DCFS personnel, nurses, substance abuse and behavioral counselors, and legal aid attorneys.

The Illinois Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act was signed into law in 2021. Under this legislation, a Statewide Committee is responsible for overseeing the formation of regional domestic violence review teams across Illinois and providing technical assistance and support. The Statewide Committee will gather policy and system recommendations from each regional review team and make recommendations accordingly.

First Assistant Lauren Callinan shared that she is honored to co-chair such an important group. “Legislation like this, and support from so many different disciplines in our community are important pieces in the work of eradicating domestic violence and domestic-related fatalities.”

The Lake County review team has already attended trainings offered by the Statewide Committee and held its first official meeting on June 23 where its Board was elected.

The other four Fatality Review Teams have been established in Will County; Madison and Bond Counties; Rockford County; and Kankakee County.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s office has worked closely with A Safe Place since 1978 when the non-profit organization was founded to serve survivors of domestic violence. In 2022, A Safe Place and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office were also awarded a joint grant to reduce human trafficking in Lake County. In 2024, State's Attorney Rinehart was selected to serve on A Safe Place's Honorary Board of Directors.

Since December 2020, the Lake County State's Attorney's Office has increased the number of domestic violence prosecutors as well as victim-support professionals including Spanish-speaking victim specialists to improve service quality across all communities.