SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT ASSISTANT CHIEF IS HONORED
FOR HER ROLE IN COMBATING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Gloria I. Torres, Springfield District Court Assistant Chief Probation Officer, was recently presented with the Eleanor Roosevelt Unsung Heroine Award for her efforts to combat domestic violence.

The award was presented by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women at the organization's first Eleanor Roosevelt Unsung Heroine Award Luncheon this spring. The luncheon took place at The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston.

Torres started the certified batterers program in 1992 to hold male probationers accountable for the violence they inflict on their wives, partners and children. She was the first woman in the western part of the state to focus on the behavior of perpetrators. Most domestic violence programs, run by women at the time, were geared toward victims.

"I am truly humbled by this award. The goal of my work is to bring peace to victims of violence by making abusers accountable for their actions," said Torres.

Torres understands violence. She witnessed the execution of her husband, a member of the military in Torres native Peru. Torres was forced to flee Peru with her two children, a 2-year-old daughter and a 28-day old son.

She arrived in Chicopee in the 1980s to live with her younger brother. A single parent, Torres raised her children, earned bachelor's and master's degrees and later began working with domestic violence perpetrators. She became a probation officer in June 1994. Torres was named Assistant Chief Probation Officer at Springfield District Court in June 2001.