Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Las Vegas woman shares her story

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)– October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and to support others, Rosa Martins shared her personal story while actively working with Safe House in the Las Vegas valley to assist those experiencing domestic abuse.

Rosa Martins was 19 and newly married when she began suffering abuse from her husband.

"For me, domestic violence was when your husband hits you or abuses you physically," Martins said. "That didn't happen to me. Everything else did."

While her husband didn't physically harm her, he left Martins wounded emotionally and living in a constant state of fear.

"He would throw knives at me or shave a machete. He had a big, huge machete," Martins said. "He also killed my dog, kidnapped my son, Molotov my apartment, poisoned me twice, cut the breaks off my car, but because he wasn't hitting me, to me it wasn't domestic violence."

The abuse continued for years until the behavior drastically escalated.

"The day that he tried to kill me – that's when he started choking me," Martins said.

Martin's 5-year-old son witnessed the incident and called 9-1-1 asking for help.

"That was my turning point. That's when I started realizing, 'Oh my gosh, that was not a way to live'," Martins voiced. "If my child is seeing this and is realizing it's wrong, I need to look for help."

Officers took Martins and her two young sons to Safe House, a local domestic violence shelter that offered them shelter, food, clothing, and counseling. Safe House also helped Martins enroll in a community college, where she learned English and helped her secure her immigration status and obtain a visa.

"Safe House saved my life," Martins said.

Martins now serves on the Board of Directors at Safe House, helping others get out of dangerous situations.

"I love this place. It saved me and I know it's saving a lot of women," Martins said.

If one is struggling with domestic violence or knows somebody who is, there is help. One can call the Safe House 24-hour crisis hotline at (702)564-3227. To learn more about services and resources visit Safe House's website.

Additionally, Domestic Violence Awareness Month highlights the significance of Marsy's Law, which protects victims and survivors. Throughout October, the city of Las Vegas and Clark County will demonstrate their support for victims and survivors of domestic violence by going purple.

Below is a list of landmarks and buildings across the region and state that will shine purple to show their support.