Submitted by: *Sherrie, Survivor
Calling the police as a victim of domestic violence can be a terrifying experience. Some may fear retaliation from their abuser or a response of indifference on the part of law enforcement. Still, others may have an abuser who is in law enforcement themselves or has friends and family working in the legal system.
Sherrie shares with us her experiences of abuse and how an indifferent response affected her personal safety. Find out what happened once he was finally arrested, and how she has started to move forward with her life.
The first time Sherrie’s abuser laid his hands on her was six months into the relationship. He was drunk and shoved her head into the wall. Afterward, he brought her into the bedroom and raped her. At the time, Sherrie said that she thought that maybe he was just rougher than usual because he had been drinking.
A few weeks later, he began calling her every horrible name one could imagine; fat b****, worthless, and lazy c*** were just a handful of them. He would always apologize afterward and tell Sherrie that he loved her. He would also get caught doing random things, and instead of accepting responsibility, he would just lie to her about it.
Sherrie and her abuser ended up moving to another town. Once they completed the move, violence escalated, and he started holding knives to her throat, saying that if she ever left, he would kill her. On several occasions, Sherrie called the police. They would just tell her to stay with her parents, and he was never held accountable.
He cheated on Sherrie and left her for another girl. After leaving, he later developed an addiction to drugs. He would continuously drive by her house to make sure that she was home or at work. Then he found out what her phone number was and kept calling her through a blocked number. Eventually, they got back together so she could help him get clean. Little did Sherrie know, he was still using drugs and talking to person he originally left her for.
One day, he arrived home around seven in the morning, and they argued about where he had been all night. He started calling her names and insulting her. When he received a notification on his phone, Sherrie reached over to see who it was, and he began to strangle her on the bed. She called the cops, and he was arrested. However, someone posted his bail, and he was right back in the house as though nothing ever happened.
“I endured verbal, emotional, and physical abuse daily. I finally found my bravery one March day, and that could have ended my life. I came home, and I told him I was breaking up with him. He became so angry that he shoved me to the kitchen floor, hit me many times, and strangled me to the point where I passed out.
“He ran off, and I woke up and called the police. They found him in his truck and arrested him for the assault. He was only sentenced for four months for all the abuse. Now, he’s on probation and is still trying to fix things with me.
“He has people watching my Facebook page and still threatens me, but there is no way that I can prove it’s him. I wish that I would have had the strength to leave the first time he hit me. However, I’m thankful for the life I still have and for the friends and family who support and love me through such a difficult time.”
*Survivor’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
**If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is help. You can visit the Break the Silence website at www.breakthesilencedv.org, chat with one of our helpline advocates at 855-287-1777, or send a private message through our Facebook page.
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