Domestic violence survivors send a message from the middle of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
Survivors from both sides of the Hudson River met in the middle of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Thursday afternoon to show victims there is a giant network of supporters available to them.
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More than 100 domestic violence survivors and advocates took to the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Thursday to share their experiences with the community, hoping their stories might help motivate victims to report their abusers and spark discussions within families about domestic violence.
"You need to hear it and have it validated that you aren't crazy," demonstrator Billie Castiglia, of Nyack, said of people who have not yet escaped abusive households.
Castiglia said the Rockland Family Shelter, which later became the Center for Safety and Change, helped her save her own life.
She hesitated for some time before reporting abuse by her ex-husband and to seek a restraining order.
She feared her ex-husband might take away her two sons, or that he might attack her at the courthouse.
After group therapy with other survivors and meeting some advocates who were willing to accompany her to her court dates, she was ready.
"I was married for 13 years and then left," she said. "Eventually, it got to the point where I needed to take an action. And I did, with the support of the center and an advocate going with me."
Survivors from both sides of the Hudson River met in the middle of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Thursday afternoon to show victims there is a giant network of supporters available to them.
Domestic violence service provider Harbor House reports that one in four women have been seriously, physically abused by a partner, and only half of them report their abusers.
District Attorney Tom Walsh said not reporting domestic violence can be deadly.
His office is currently prosecuting a Spring Valley man accused of killing his wife.
"What a serious case of intimate partner abuse. [There's] No more serious a case than murder," Walsh said. "We will use the few resources of our office to ensure that your journey for justice is as safe and as easy as we can make it."
Castiglia is doing the same.
She is planning to return to the center, this time as an advocate, for people who feel stuck just the way she was before she felt supported enough to stand up for herself.
"Now that I'm retired I'm really excited to get back into it and help out some," Castiglia said, "because it's still happening."
Anyone who is or knows a victim of domestic violence and is seeking an advocate can reach out to the Center for Safety and Change's 24-hour hotline at 845-634-3344, text the center at 845-286-4997, or chat with an advocate through the center's website.
