More than twenty years after she was in an abusive relationship, Karen McQueary is breaking her silence.
"I can't even tell you how many times I tried to leave for good and that's when it got to the point where like, I couldn't leave," said McQueary. "I just wanted it to be over."
The local woman is now revealing things, to us, that even her family doesn't know.
"He kicked me so hard in the back that I hit the wall," said McQueary.
Leaving a dangerous relationship can often increase the violence, and in Karen's case, her batterer stalked her for two years after she left him.
"The very hour that I had my phone reconnected, he had the phone number," Karen said.
She sought help at Artemis Center, a domestic violence resource center in the Dayton area. If you need help, Artemis has a 24-hour hotline and a safe location where you can seek shelter immediately. Experts say victims need a lifeline.
"Batterers want victims to be isolated, and so it's so important to remain in contact with her, support her, and let her know no matter what you'll be there, because he's counting on you not being there," said Jane Keiffer, Clinical Program Director for Artemis Center.
Keiffer said victims preparing to leave should create a code word that their family and friends will know to get them out of danger. They should have a cell phone, fully-charged, with them at all times and designate a familiar and safe place where they can go quickly, if necessary.
If you or someone you know needs help getting out of a dangerous relationship, call the Artemis Hotline at 222-7233. There is a team of experts who can talk you through what you need to do to stay safe.
