Copyright 7newsbelize
For the ones who manage to make it out of the abuse alive, finding a means of independence is an even bigger challenge for some women, especially if your ability to work has been compromised due to severe physical injuries, like a broken foot. That's the reality for this woman who came by our studio today. She says her former partner broke her foot, and when she tried to follow up with the case, she claims that she was not informed of the court dates. Tanya Herrera, Domestic Abuse Survivor "When I ended up finding a way out, after the last beating after my foot broke, I went to the police station in Mango Creek I went to the DVU and I explained the situation and stuff and I ended up getting relocated to come and take therapy at Karl Heusner Hospital and from then I had the case in-front of the court and up to then I haven't gotten a call about none of the court cases or nothing like that not even from through Women's Department. The last message I got from the case worker, she told me that she would call the police and check about the court dates because I was reminding her about the court and I haven't gotten any reply up to today. I called the court this morning to check about the cases and they told me it was yesterday and the young man got his disclosure yesterday. So I asked them how I don't know about it and how I haven't gotten a call from the DPP or nobody. So she said she would check into it and she would call me back and up to now I haven't gotten any call." But Herrera has bigger problems to contend with, moving around on crutches and having to find the means to care for her 5 year old daughter, especially given that she is unemployable at the moment because of her leg. Tanya Herrera, Domestic Abuse Survivor "Then I am taking a lick dealing with my baby because I have a femur fracture by my upper thigh, I can't move on it, which I have to do a lot because I have to take care of my baby and make sure she gets to school. Then Women's Department is talking about stop paying the rent at the end of this month so my live out month is November. I can't work, I can't do nothing because no one wants to hire me because of the condition I am in, I am still on crutches and my leg is broken. So I need a lot of help with my daughter and keeping a roof over our head and keeping my baby with me and not having her taken away and that is the main thing I am fighting for." Having basically no independent financial means, Herrera is still in need of therapy, which she cannot pay on her own or rely on the system to make those payments for her. She is running out of options, and is tired of being given the runaround. Tanya Herrera, Domestic Abuse Survivor "I did file my report, I have the case in-front of the court right now but it is in Mango creek, independence, because that is where it happened and that is the issue," "So you have to go all the way there for court?" Tanya Herrera, Domestic Abuse Survivor "I have to go way to Mango Creek for court every time I have a court date, if I want to go." "And then the department, the Women's Department I am dealing with them but it is a whole lot of mooching. I ended up taking therapy but I can't take the therapy right now because the lady is saying she needs to see payments for the sessions already paid for that. Women's Department says they paid for and it looks like they haven't paid for it yet so they don't want me to do any of the sessions them and I have been up and down at Women's Department." "Sometimes I think they just make the situation worse because why would you put me in this condition in a dead end, in the back of nowhere and put my child in a school way over the other side where I could barely manage to attend to and without a job and transport." Those wishing to assist her can reach her at 611-1687
