The DVO didn't stop him. What else can I do?

Question

My brother molested me for six years, and my dad and grandmother knew it was happening. They still let it continue. Now, I'm pressing charges, and the first step was a DVO. It's like a big joke to my family, and they're trying to get me to drop the DVO, in particular, but also drop everything. 

Last night, my dad called me and didn't hang up the phone. I have a three-minute voicemail conversation of the whole family talking, and admitting that my dad sneaked off with my son while I was in the emergency room last week, and took him to see my brother. I've tried for two days to speak with someone at the sheriff's office, and nobody even calls me back.

What else should I do? Should I call the police where my brother lives and have him arrested? Should I call our state police? Can I send my dad to jail, too? Please help... I'm ready to pack us up and run away to the farthest state I can get to.

Jennifer · Accepted Answer

The first thing you can do is file a restraining order preventing your family from being around your son, since you clearly can't trust them. The second thing you can do is change your home number. I'm so sorry this happened to you, but for now the best thing you can do is cut your family off. After you've had a chance to see a therapist and work through some of the things that happened to you, you may deep like reaching out to them again. Right now they're toxic.

tngking · Answer

The Violence Against Women Act protects you.  The VAWA says your order is good in any state, county, territory of the United States. There is a National Domestic Violence Hotline, the number is 1â800â799âSAFE(7233). CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY. The Police are not allowed to ignore these calls.
DO not let your family continue the abuse. Many times family finds it easier to say it never happened than to deal with the ugly truth. The hotlines will help you find a support group. Use them, build a support group, and stand proud. 

There are plenty of people who are available day and night to answer these questions. You can find them in your state at http://www.hotpeachpages.net/

If the defendant violates the DVO, you can call 911 immediately. Sometimes they can be arrested right away. Tell them you have a  DVO and it is being violated, ask for the officers name, in case there is not response.   
 It is a good idea to write down the name of the responding officer(s) and their badge number in case you want to follow up on your case. 

If you do not want to call the police( or they are not responding), or if the abuser has fled the scene you can go to the Court to file either a "show cause" motion or a criminal complaint. Someone at the clerk’s office can help you decide. A judge will review the complaint or affidavit and decide what needs to be done next.

The DVO didn't stop him. What else can I do?

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