There will be no curbing domestic violence in Kootenai County until people start talking about it, according to Susan Koerner.

And she sees a lot to talk about every day, as the victims witness coordinator for the domestic violence caseload at the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office. Daily Koerner connects with women who have been pummeled, she said, their self esteem sapped, outlooks bleak.

"What I'm seeing this year is felony level more than misdemeanor injuries," she said, adding that many women struggle to leave dangerous relationships where custody over children is still tenuous.

So Koerner wants women - and men - who have been victims of domestic violence to help.

She wants them to communicate about resources and feelings and victims improving their lots.

And she wants them to tell the community about what they have survived.

"We need to educate the community and jury people," Koerner said. "Real life stories have an impact on individuals. If you see something on TV, it's just something happening somewhere else."

That's why Koerner is trying to get a local chapter of Voices off the ground.

The idea of the empowerment group, chapters of which are cropping up across the country, is to create a panel of domestic violence survivors to discuss their histories at public speaking engagements.

The aim is both to advocate for victims, and to educate the public on violence that has been occurring in our own neighborhoods.

"Domestic violence is a tough thing for people to understand," Koerner said.

Others are on board. Theresa Staples, court advocate program director with the North Idaho Violence Prevention Center, and NIVPC education and outreach coordinator Camie Wereley have joined Koerner in prompting women to participate.

Staples, who works on 100 client contacts a month, dubbed the issues of sexual assault and domestic violence as pervasive here.

Wereley said injuries of victims seeking help and refuge from NIVPC have been dire.

"We've seen three jaws wired shut in our shelter (this year)," she said.

She hopes Voices will provide more educated juries, she said.

"A lot of verdicts are so difficult to understand," she said. "Strangulation we see the most often. You can't believe the jury doesn't think it was so serious. Men are getting off or getting a light sentence. It's really disturbing."

Staples said she also hopes to see some men on the panel, too.

Little boys are also victims of sexual abuse, she pointed out. And NIVPC even sees a handful of men every year who are victims of domestic violence, she said, including one man shot by his spouse.

"We don't hear those stories, because it's a whole different dynamic," she said, adding that NIVPC finds outside shelter for male victims. "When males do come forward, those stories are really powerful."

The three women held a planning meeting for Voices last week, and are eager to hear from individuals interested in joining.

To participate, call Koerner at the Prosecutor's Office at: 446-1800. Or call Staples at NIVPC at: 664-9303. Information is also available on the NIVPC website: www.nivpc.org.

Individuals must meet criteria to sit on the panel. Any criminal cases they've been involved in must have been closed, and they must be out of an abusive relationship for one year. Candidates must provide a referral letter from a previous or current counselor, and must commit to monthly chapter meetings.

"We want to ensure that whoever is involved, this is a safe place to do so," Staples said.