Trial by fire

It was an alleged argument that started a series of events in April 2008 that ended with the murders of 14-year-old Acia Johnson and her 2-year-old sister Sophia, one of the most recent in a stream of heavily reported LGBT domestic violence issues.

The girls' mother, Anna Reisopoulos, had reportedly humiliated her 25-year-old girlfriend, South Boston resident Nicole Chuminski, at a wedding earlier in the day. Add public embarrassment to what the prosecutor in the case called an already "volatile, emotional relationship," and Chuminski "willfully and maliciously" set fire to her Reisopoulos' West 6th St. home, Assistant District Attorney David Fredette said in his opening statement Monday, Feb. 1.

"The conditions were perfect for that fire to spread," Fredette said, "trapping Acia and Sophia on the third floor." Acia picked up her baby sister and hid in the closet. "She cradled that baby," Fredette said. "And that's the way the fire department found them."

After the fire, it was determined that the conflagration was no accident. "Accelerant-sniffing dogs came to the scene and hit on something," Fredette said. That "something" was determined to be acetone, a chemical found in common solvents. Chuminski's clothing later tested positive for the presence of acetone.

After allegedly fleeing the scene, Chuminski purportedly told a witness about the fight and admitted to having thrown a bottle through her girlfriend's window -- statements which she later contradicted during subsequent interviews with homicide detectives.

"The most dangerous time in a domestic violence situation is when someone tries to leave," said Kaitlin Nichols, director of organizing and education at the Nework/La Red, an organization working to end partner abuse in LGBT communities. Nichols -- who has no private knowledge of the case against Chuminski -- has seen a marked increase in media coverage of LGBT domestic violence issues in the past two years. Luckily, this most likely indicates that the visibility of the LGBT community is increasing, rather than the instances of violence increasing. Media coverage of LGBT partner abuse is, however, far from perfect. "Many of the media outlets aren't calling this 'domestic disturbance,' they're calling it a 'lovers' spat' or a 'lovers' quarrel,'" Nichols said. Mainstream media's use of those terms insinuates that partner abuse among LGBT couples is not serious or dangerous, when in fact, 22 to 33% of people involved in LGBT relationships will at one point experience domestic violence; the same likelihood that is applied to women in heterosexual relationships.

Chuminski is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of the two little girls, as well as two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and a single count of arson. The defendant will testify in her trial, which is expected to last about two weeks.

"You will have all the tools you need at the end of this trial to find the defendant guilty," Fredette said to a jury of Chuminski's peers. The jurors viewed the crime scene on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence or partner abuse, please call the Network/La Red's hotline at (617) 742-4911.