A heartbreaking video posted yesterday video starts simply: "Hi guys, my name is Emma Murphy," a woman says into the camera. But immediately something is off — Murphy has a black eye.
Murphy, 26, posted this video on Facebook to share her story of survival. In the video, she explains that she had been in a relationship for three and a half years with a man who was the love of her life. Last year, she found out that he'd cheated on her, and recently, realized it had happened again. When she confronted him, he punched her in the face, she says. "It wasn't the first time. Last year he split my head open at an event. Prior to that he punched me as well; I had a black eye," she says in the video.
She goes on to describe a relationship full of physical and emotional abuse. "Even once, it's unacceptable. But to be made to feel that it is acceptable is even worse. To be mentally tortured and told you're paranoid or insecure, that's mental torture. And no man should do that to anyone," she says. Her story, she hopes, will inspire women everywhere to have the strength to stand up and leave unhealthy and dangerous situations.
According to Safe Horizons, 1.5 million women are physically assaulted by their partners a year, which leads to 145,000 hospitalizations. More than 97 percent of domestic violence victims also experience psychological abuse, which includes name-calling, put-downs, and being blamed for the abuse.
Watch Murphy tell her story below. Warning, the video may be disturbing to some. For those who need help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233.