I am a disabled domestic violence survivor that has permanent disabling conditions due to a perpetrator that committed a crime against me who is my close proximity neighbor. I never knew how severely limited the legal rights of a disabled domestic violence survivor were in nys…until I became one. The laws are on the side of the perpetrator, especially if they wear professional attire. Some years ago, this former friend, also a former coworker that I have known for many years, got away with publicly displaying an indecent picture of me at my place of work on her iphone camera, without my consent due to employer neglect. My former employer and the major hospital where I worked took no corrective action after the crime/on-the-job injury occurred, and the perpetrator got away with the crime against me that caused permanent disabilities. They acted like nothing happened on-the-job, even though I was severely injured and never returned to work. A former coworker came up to me while I was working at my job and told me that he was shown an indecent picture of me and told unspeakable things about me from “My good long-time friend.” This former coworker was informing me that this person was “Not my good friend.” I recently found out that neither my employer, nor the major hospital reported the crime/on-the-job-injury that happened to me at the hospital that caused me to become disabled to the NYS.
I was severely injured at this hospital, the former friend/former co-worker also showed other coworkers and a supervisor, without my consent my indecent picture, defamed my character, and told them my domestic violence information without my consent. Those are all who I was informed by a former coworker on the hospital jobsite, I do not know who else, but this former friend has violated HIPAA privacy rights, so I am sure other people know my personal information. Both my employer and the hospital where the crime against me occurred causing my on-the job-injury was not handled properly. Where were the HR investigators for both my employer and the major hospital where I was injured? A crime occurred on their property. I felt sub-human, suicidal at the time of the incident, and cried hysterically in shame. Meanwhile, I did not know all of my rights and meanwhile she most likely knew her rights from her ex-boyfriend law enforcement boyfriend. This friend publicly disclosed the law enforcement officer’s private medical and personal information as well. This former friend brought me to Benihanna while I was medicated for the work-related injury/crime that she caused me, and stated that the dinner that she was buying me was compensation for what she did to me. I keep the photo to remind myself that monsters do exist and to be strong and moving forward choose my friends wisely. My children were once friends with her child, but upon this “
It is deeply saddening when you cannot pursue legal justice for a crime committed against you because your domestic violence abuser is constantly threatening you and harrassing you. Then I got to see my “Good friend” commit this crime against me, laugh in my face that she has got away and is now a “moral, professional, and ethical NYS RN.” What saddens me is the fact that I never received justice due to having to choose to deal with the severity of my domestic violence situation and having to deal with constant threats of my abuser and imminent danger. I had to deal with what was in front of me constantly, so this other employment related crime got away. Now this perpetrator, my former friend-the ethical NYS RN, is the only one rejoicing and smiling in my face because the statute ran out and she has ruined ten years of my life, and counting. My goal is to learn the law and to become more knowledgeable to know my rights better to help myself and others, so they never have to face or go through what I went through. I can never replace the humiliation, pain, and shock I felt at work when the former coworker informed me of the picture, the defamation and my protected information. I will never forget the threats and the unsafety I faced at every address I lived in and the constant fleeing from my abuser. I choose my friends more carefully now and pick ones that I trust, not friends that will laugh at domestic violence, and domestic abusers that will use me for reproductive abuse such as what I was used for. True friendship creates trusting and caring relationships. This former friend only cared to injure and destroy, as in my case and some other friends of hers where she publicle released their private medical information and personal protected information. I have learned well and now I educate so others will not be harmed as I was. I also want to advocate to extend, or remove the statute of limitations for crimes against domestic violence victims and survivors, so that domestic violence victims and survivors can pursue the perpetrators of the crimes that were committed against them. This should be active in all states I believe. Domestic violence victims have suffered enough, and have to constantly struggle to rebuild and restart their lives and to spend years to try to try and pursue justice for a crime after the statute of limitations is over and a victim cannot is re-victimizing a victim over and over again.
This employment-related crime slipped through the cracks at the time because, I could not pursue it legally the way I wanted and needed to due to my substance-dependent, domestic violence abuser constantly harassing me and my aunt dying of stage four lung cancer. Now I have every victim’s worst nightmare with the statute of limitations that has run out….which is a perpetrator’s dream….I have a perpetrator that is my neighbor laughing in my face, taunting me, and saying-“Hi.” This perpetrator will only taunt me, and speak to me due to the statute that has run out and knowing that I cannot take legal recourse. She is much too smart to do anything dangerous. I have spoken to so many attorneys for legal advice. I have tried in vain to get the statute of limitations extended due to my domestic violence situation at the time.
I think that domestic violence victims and survivors should not have a statute of limitations to pursue crimes that have happened to them because it can take years to recover from damages and try to remedy matters that an abuser has subjected a victim to. Just to even process what had happened to them can take years. Ten years of my life and counting has been spent looking for an incident report that the company said that they made that I recently found out from a representative from the state does not even exist. My life has been turned upside down since this crime/on-the-job injury happened ten years ago. Meanwhile, on social media I came across the perpetrator who committed this crime against me due to someone being mutual friends. I informed the person the crime that this former friend/perpetrator did to me and blocked her on social media, but not before I saw on her social media profile border: “Thankful, grateful, blessed.” I guess that is how you feel when you get away with a crime due to employer negligence and you can laugh in the victim’s face. I do not have that kind of heart and was not raised like that. I was raised by a World War Two Veteran and I have honor. He taught me how to walk with pride. Even when someone severely wronged me, he taught me that two wrongs will not make a right. God sees everything and God will be the ultimate judge and will give me justice.
Notice: The names in this story are fictitious to protect the request for anonymity.
