Halley had a boyfriend who wasn’t going to let her go. She had been with him for 5 years and had two children.
She worked as a Nurse Aide (PCA) at a nursing home where the pay and working conditions were excellent. She first contacted a legal advocate to get assistance in getting a PFA. She backed away because he threatened her life if she left. She continued to live with him for nearly another year and made over 25 calls to SafeNet’s legal advocate. She sought help to plan for her safety and that of her children and she wanted to continue her job.
In the process of attempting to leave, he tried to get her fired: stole her car keys, flattened tires, and stole her work uniform: all this punctuated with physical abuse and verbal abuse. He also threatened to destroy all of her property.
Eventually we were able to find relocation funds for her to put her things in storage while she found safe housing then she pursued a protection order.
Halley’s Story
Comments/Analysis
The demographic profile of those seeking legal services parallels that of Erie County in terms of income and race. Halley was dedicated to her job and keeping the things that she had worked hard to acquire. She did this all the while trying to protect the family’s safety. This collided with the dangers she perceived in pursuing a PFA. Although Halley could have gone to shelter, she adamantly did not want to do that.
