Domestic abuse can be a tough topic for anyone to speak about, especially for those who may have experienced it firsthand. On Wednesday morning, KATC met a young woman who mustered the courage to share her story with me. This Opelousas woman is seeking shelter at a safe haven, the first designed for women and children in the Parish.
"Basically, he scared the **** out of my momma when he went over there, and I do not know if my mom said something or the boys said something, but something triggered him, and he went into an episode, and he hit my mom. She had to go to a hospital; her face was swollen," said an Opelousas woman, who we are not naming to protect her identity.
She shares her dark experiences of her father and mother's relationship.
"And from my knowledge, that was the only time it happened; he went into an episode, and he hit her," said the woman.
Last year, she was staying with her mother, but she knew it was time to leave at that moment, so she did, but there was no place for her or her child to go.
"I checked with family and friends but couldn't find anything," said the woman.
But after scrolling on social media, she found Opelousas councilwoman Chasity Davis Warren.
"My inbox is full of people who contact me about domestic violence situations, and I will reach out to Lafayette, and they will tell me that they are full," said Warren.
According to the Opelousas Police Department, so far this year, 75 arrests have been made in domestic abuse incidents.
Warren decided to open a shelter in an undisclosed location in Opelousas dedicated only to women and children. This will be the first of its kind in the city to help those escaping domestic abuse situations.
The space is about a few hundred square feet and can house at least three people and three children at a time.
As she adjusts to her new life, she hopes to find a job, start saving money, and purchase her apartment, but for now, she is just thankful to have a place to call home.
"I didnt know what I was going to do because I was going to be out on the street with my son."
The shelter will be a part of the C-Davis Foundation. To learn how to donate to the shelter that plans to expand, call this number 337-308-1373.
