Whether it’s behind closed doors or out in public, domestic violence happens to thousands of people every day. For example, did you know that between 2001 and 2012 the number of troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq was 6,488. During that same time period, 11,766 American women were murdered by current or ex male partners, as reported by Huffington Post
That’s a staggering statistic. Domestic violence is an epidemic that’s affecting women and men everywhere. It may be more talked about than it used to be, but that doesn’t mean the problem is going away.
Getting out of a violent and abusive relationship can be one of the most difficult and brave things a person can do. I can’t even imagine the amount of strength and courage it takes to leave an abusive partner, let alone share your story with the world.
But that’s exactly what Irish fitness blogger Emma Murphy did. She posted this video to her Facebook wall after breaking up with her partner and father of her children. Murphy said he not only cheated on her, but then abused her multiple times.
I thought long and hard before posting this video, this is very difficult for me but I have to do what is RIGHT, if you…
Posted by Emma Murphy on Monday, July 6, 2015
She shared this raw and vulnerable video with the world to tell her story and hopefully help any woman who might be going through the same thing. This emotional video quickly went viral, getting more than 175,000 likes and 6,823,502 views.
“Even once is unacceptable, but to be made to feel that it is acceptable is even worse,” Murphy says in the video. “To be made to feel that you’re paranoid or insecure. That’s mental torture, and no man should do that to any woman.”
The reaction to this video has been phenomenal — thousands of people all over the world are commenting on the video, sharing their love and support, and recounting their own stories of domestic violence.
She encourages any woman out there who’s going through the same thing to walk away, saying “if it happens once, it will happen again.” And she ends the video by saying, “I hope I’ve raised awareness to some women and if it has hit anyone’s heart, maybe share the video with them.”
My heart and gratitude go out to this brave woman. It wasn’t easy for her to make this video but in doing so she’s touched the hearts of millions.
Please watch this heart-wrenching video and SHARE it with someone you think might need it.
