This is a true story. However, I have changed the names. This is not necessarily my story to tell. But, I was extremely close to this situation and didn’t even know it was going on. Husbands that beat their wives can have a very good skill to conceal the truth.
Sarah is a mother of 3. I’m not entirely sure when the abuse had started. I do know that it was over a long period of time Sarah was constantly beaten and abuse. Her husband Richard was a sweet, charming man to everyone he came into contact with. Unless, you were one of the ones that were extremely close to Sarah, you wouldn’t have known what was going on behind closed doors. Richard would physically beat Sarah. She would have bruises all of her face and her body for days. The first two kids she had were definitely two that belong to the “happy couple”. The third was questionable. See not only was Sarah beaten, she was forced to encounter sexual acts with men that her husband had chosen so he could watch her; then would beat her again because she had slept with someone else. Finally, one day an ambulance showed up to their house in the middle of the night. All the neighbors gathered around expecting to see Sarah being wheeled out on the stretcher after hearing gun shots. Instead, Richard had gone too far. He threatened Sarah’s life and threatened her children’s life one too many times. Sarah finally got the courage and shot Richard in the head and twice in the back. All the surrounding neighbors were so sure that Richard had finally killed his wife and was shocked to see it was him that had died. No one that lived around them had pity for this man.
During the trial, Sarah was actually released for murder. They had found Richard’s ex-wife. She told her story of what he did to her. She had changed a setting in their house one day. He ducted taped her to the water heater naked. He left her there all day. On his return several hours later, he had torn the tape from her flesh, leaving whelps and removing skin. All he had to say to her was “You’re not going to make the same mistake twice are you?”
I’m not trying to excuse Sarah’s actions for what she did. But this man was a horrible man; that needed to be punished for the choices he made in his life. There are many women that aren’t strong enough to stand up for themselves. This story is just part of what I know. I don’t know everything that went on. But, you can imagine what these poor women had gone through.
Another point to see in this story is the neighbors. They knew about the violence. They were shocked to see that it wasn’t the wife that was dead. When you know about domestic violence, don’t feel like it’s none of your business. Sometimes the party involved that is being abused can’t find their voice to stand up for themselves. Be the one that stands up for the one that have lost their voice. Take a stand against domestic violence. If you don’t… the abused one could wind up dead. How are you going to feel then when you know you could have done something to save another person’s life? Sarah was lucky that she is alive and her children are alive. But, there are so many out there that aren’t so lucky.
Written By: Lizzy A. Pope
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