The Honolulu Advertiser's 2008 series, "Crossing the Line: Abuse in Hawaii Homes," has won the 2009 Dart Awards for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, the center announced today.

Judges called The Advertiser series an "extraordinarily compelling and exhaustive look at the issue of domestic violence."

The Dart Awards said The Advertiser's seven-part, investigative series documented "the failures of law-enforcement, gaps in the safety net for victims, and the far-reaching consequences to victims, their families and the broader community. Through the intimate diary of Daysha Aiona-Aka, a 21-year-old mother who was murdered at the hands of her estranged boyfriend, the series offers a rare glimpse of the dynamics of abuse, as that abuse unfolds."

The series was produced by Advertiser reporters Rob Perez and Kevin Dayton, photographer Jeff Widener and features designer Russell McCrory.

The judges praised Perez and Dayton "for their ability to transcend cultural and language barriers, and commended Widener for his profound visual storytelling acuity. Judges also hailed The Honolulu Advertiser for its significant allocation of resources and unwavering commitment to this issue."

The Advertiser joined The Plain Dealer of Cleveland and Public Radio International's "The World" in winning this year's Dart Awards.

The Plain Dealer of Cleveland received the Dart Award for the second time in a row for "Beyond Rape: A Survivor's Journey," which tells the story of the author's rape in 1984 and its aftermath. Public Radio International's "The World" received the Dart Award for "Rape as a Weapon of War" a five-part investigative series that examined the brutality of sexual violence in conflict zones and the medical, humanitarian, legal, and political response to it.

Each winning team will receive a $5,000 cash prize. This year the judges made no award in the category of breaking news. The winners will be recognized at a public ceremony on April 28 at the Journalism School.

Other finalists in newspaper and online reporting include:

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution – "Chaplain Turner's War"

• Boston Globe – "A Girl's Life"

• Christian Science Monitor -- "Forgive, Not Forget: Reconciliation After War"

• Dallas Observer – "Terrain of Grief"

• Frederick News-Post – "Domestic Violence"

• Salon.com – "Friendly Fire in Iraq – and a Cover Up"

• Westword (Denver) – "The Good Soldier"

Other finalists in radio reporting included:

• CBC, Dispatches – "The 'New' War Zone"

• NPR, Day to Day – "Nuns Forgive, But Can't Forget Violent Parishioner"

• NPR, All Things Considered – "Detroit's Firefighters Battle Dangerous Ghosts"

• National Radio Project, Making Contact – "Gina's Story"

Preliminary and final judging are conducted by independent panels combining journalists, mental health professionals and victim advocates.

The Dart Awards are administered by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, based at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Established in 1995, the annual Dart Awards recognize outstanding reporting that portrays traumatic events with accuracy, insight and sensitivity while illustrating the effects of trauma on victims' lives and the process of recovery from emotional trauma.