The Tale of Two Rooms

Room2Hope is a non-profit initiative conceived in 2018 to aid Victims of violent crime to attain Justice. Specifically, Room2Hope transforms dismal, bleak Victim Interview Rooms in Police Stations, and Victim Waiting Rooms in Courthouses, into more comforting, hope-filled spaces. 

Denise Fonseca is the Founder of Room2Hope. She is a Hays County, Texas, resident who was a victim of violent crime. During her 19 month journey through the Criminal Justice System Denise spent too much time in dismal Victim Interview and Waiting Rooms. When her abuser, Todd Kress (Todd Thomas Kress), was convicted of 3 Felonies and incarcerated, Denise embraced the opportunity to create kinder, more nurturing spaces for Victims of violent crime.

How can Room2Hope credibly claim the lofty Mission of “Aiding in the Pursuit of Justice”?

There are TWO critical points in the Criminal Justice journey where Room2Hope positively impacts Victims of violent crime.
ONE:
The Police interview happens at the beginning of the Justice Journey. When Victims enter the Interview room shortly after a violent crime has been committed they are traumatized. Traditional dismal Interview Rooms lack the comfort needed to help distraught Victims give a coherent and complete account of what they have endured. 

Equally these rooms do not provide ideal conditions for Law Enforcement to capture thorough and accurate reports. For her book ‘No Visible Bruises’ Rachel Snyder spent 6-years conducting nationwide Research with Prosecutors. A critical finding was that “the thoroughness of police reports is the single most important element they (Prosecutors) need to make their case” and get Justice for Victims.

Room2Hope aims to improve the interview process for everyone. A comforting environment helps Victims feel more at ease, and it enhances the ability of the Police to capture every detail. Justice is the fundamental goal.

 TWO:
The second critical point is when a Victim’s case moves to the District Attorney’s Office. If a case goes to trial the Victim will tell and retell his/her story to a Prosecutor and eventually to a Judge and Jury in a court of law. Although this is almost the final step in the Criminal Justice Journey, it is the most harrowing. As Victims wait to give testimony, sometimes for several days, they know they will soon face the person who attacked and violated them. Or murdered or maimed a loved one. This is terrifying!

Like the Victim Interview Room, Victim Waiting Rooms are cold and bleak. A Victim’s mental state has a profound effect on their ability to recall events with composure, and to deliver clear and consistent testimony. Improving a Victim’s emotional state through a calm and comfortable environment can help the Prosecutor secure a more successful outcome. Victims especially need emotional fortitude to survive the evisceration attempts by the Defense team. Room2Hope strives to ‘hold a Victim’s hand’ during the waiting period of this ordeal. 

In Denise’s words ...

”Many people are familiar with the stress of spending large chunks of time sitting in drab Doctor or Dentist waiting rooms, or, worse still, in a Hospital Emergency Room. But there are other rooms as deeply traumatizing as these examples. Child and Adult Victims of violent crime spend endless hours being questioned in Police Interview Rooms, and waiting in courthouse ‘Victim Waiting Rooms’ before they testify. This includes children as young as 4 years of age. The Police interviewing process is deeply traumatic but critical to the outcome of the case. And when a Victim is waiting to enter a courtroom to testify, they are at their most vulnerable, most fearful. My personal experiences demanded that I make a positive difference to these Rooms so that ALL involved can Hope for JUSTICE!”

Terrible things CAN happen to everyday people

 My Story

ALWAYS CALL 911 IF YOU ARE IN DANGER.

FOR HELP AND MORE INFORMATION CALL THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC HOTLINE AT

1-800-799-7233 or VISIT THEIR WEBSITE - thehotline.org.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Denise. I am South African by birth, and for the past 20 years I have been a US citizen by choice. I enjoyed a 35-year career working across 48 different countries for multi-national Corporations.  In brief, I am a White, educated, financially stable mother and businesswoman.

Why does any of this matter?

I am also the victim of 7 years of Intimate Partner Abuse. For 2551 days Todd Kress (Todd Thomas Kress), an American-born, part-time contractor and Lake Travis Youth Lacrosse Coach, in Austin, Texas, used barbaric tactics to physically abuse, manipulate and control me. I endured physical injury and degradation, constant death threats, financial exploitation and pervasive hopelessness. But the past decade has taught me:

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” Bob Marley.
The Purpose of this website is to seed the message that YOU TOO ARE STRONG ENOUGH!

My Story strives to illustrate how ordinary people can be subjected to ruthless Domestic Abuse, and that attaining Justice and rebuilding a life is possible.

Common wisdom (including my own) is that Domestic Abuse is not supposed to happen “to someone like me.” But if you learn nothing else from this website, learn this. Intimate Partner Abuse is a crime of hate that does not respect demographics. It is the purest form of hate as it is committed by the person who claims to love you.

• Physical abuse indiscriminately strikes 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the US.

• A 2017 United Nations report calls the home “the most dangerous place for a woman.” 

The question I am asked most often is; “Why did you stay?” The advice all around me was to flee because Domestic homicide (“femicide”) was on my horizon. In her book ‘No Visible Bruises,’ Rachel Snyder answers this question best. “Victims stay in abusive relationships because they understand something most of us do not. As dangerous as it is in their homes it is almost always far more dangerous to leave.”
If tempted to sit in judgment on people who stay in toxic relationships Snyder explains – “Leaving requires meticulous planning and preparation. Leaving is never an event; it is a process. What staying looks like, is actually someone tiptoeing her (his) way to freedom”. 

CAN WE FIND HOPE IN THE MIDST OF THE UGLINESS OF ABUSE?

In January 2018, Todd Kress (Todd Thomas Kress) was arrested and charged with 3 felonies. After spending 7 months in jail and several more with his family - Scott and Stephanie Movic in Jupiter, Florida - he pled Guilty to all charges. The preponderance of evidence left him no wiggle room. And in July 2019, Todd Kress (Todd Thomas Kress) was convicted of all 3 Felonies for Continuous Family Violence* and incarcerated.

* DEFINITION:  “Continuous Family Violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault or abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of dominance, power and control perpetrated by an intimate partner against another.”

Against all odds this White, American, entitled male, masquerading as a ‘charming,’ supposedly ‘first offender,’ was sent to prison by the Texas Criminal Justice System. To be perfectly clear this family was not financially compromised, and Todd Kress (Todd Thomas Kress) had an excellent Defense attorney. Yet he pled GUILTY to 3 FELONIES and JUSTICE PREVAILED!

Why do I emphasize this?
Because YOU too can Get Out and Get Justice - despite all odds.

There are multiple reasons why I believe I received Justice when so many do not. First and foremost I secretly collected a ton of evidence, and people I could trust as potential witnesses, over my 7-year period of abuse. I fully appreciate how hugely risky this was. I was keenly aware of the price I would pay if my stash of evidence was discovered by Todd Kress (Todd Thomas Kress). But this evidence gave my Prosecutor a solid foundation for my case. And secondly I was blessed with Law Enforcement Officers who displayed Policing Excellence at every turn. The arresting Officers and my Detective prepared a 30-page report. Rachel Snyder’s research reveals that; “The thoroughness of police reports is the single most important element Prosecutors need to make their case.” And thirdly I collaborated with the System, helping those involved to help me. Resisting the urge to recant was psychologically overwhelming. If you want Justice you must not cave in!

Room2Hope was born out of eternal GRATITUDE to all involved for giving me my Life back.

“In a situation where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of Truth sounds like a pistol shot.” - Czesław Miłosz