An Epidemic of Domestic Violence

10 deaths in 24 hours

Riviera Beach early Monday morning, a man forces himself inside his estranged wife's home, kills her, four of her children and then himself.

In the afternoon, a second murder suicide in Lauderdale Lakes. A woman moved to a home there from Philadelphia to escape an abusive relationship. He found and killed her, then shot himself.

Hours later in Tamarac, police discover the bodies of a couple, bringing the total up to 10 murder/suicide deaths in one day. The husband had sent relatives a letter, warning them of his plans to kill his wife and himself. 
 
“It's horrible for one life to be lost, but when you have 10 in one day and all with domestic violence,“ said Mary Riedel, president and CEO of Women in Distress of Broward, “it's a wake up call for the community.”
 
As a result, more calls are coming into Women in Distress, which provides emergency shelters and services for families suffering from domestic violence.
 
"It's such an epidemic problem now," Riedel said. "If you think about it, one in three women at sometime in their life will be affected by domestic violence. That's a huge number." She adds that incidents have been getting more violent . Abusers often have undiagnosed or untreated mental illness, according to the Chairman of Psychiatry at UM Miller School of Medicine Dr. Charles Nemeroff.
 
“So there's obviously a tremendous amount of rage here," Nemeroff said. "I can't emphasize enough the contribution of alcohol and drug abuse, because these are factors that disinhibit people.”
 
There are reports Patrick Dell had been drinking before he went on his rampage in Riviera beach. His wife had a restraining order against him. Riedel recommends that people in volatile relationships need professional help to devise a safety plan .

"In some cases people make the mistake of thinking they'll be safe or they can remain in their home, and tragically that often is not the case," she noted. "But often people can do all the right things an still there can be a very tragic outcome."

There are 62 shelter beds at Women in Distress. The need is so great that it’s to a new campus next year to double the number of beds.  

The 24 hour Hotline is 954-761-1133. In Miami-Dade , the Domestic Violence Hotline is 305- 349-5888. For information on how to help stop domestic violence visit the Women in Distress website.
 
 
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