Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 4, 2024

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

You know, some years ago, there was a young woman who dated a man who was handsome and charming and smart, and she was in love with him. That man was also an alcoholic, as it turned out. And one night, in a drunken rage, that man held a gun to her head. The gun did not go off. She packed her bags and left that place and never turned back.

The rest of the story is that that young woman went to law school. She became a prosecutor, later the Attorney General of her state. And now she is the Governor of the state of Maine.

Yes, I was one of the lucky ones. But many others who experienced domestic abuse are not so lucky, as headlines from Bangor this week cogently remind us.

I want to make sure that Maine people who have experienced or who are experiencing domestic abuse know that they are not alone and know that escape from violence is possible, so I've declared October to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Maine.

Here are some of the things you ought to know about domestic abuse and domestic violence:

• Domestic abuse affects people in families of all races, ages, genders and income levels. Rural and urban.
• Nationwide, one in four women and one in seven men has experienced abuse or violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• In Maine, nearly half of all homicides are related to domestic abuse every year.

We can prevent domestic abuse and domestic violence in Maine by spreading awareness, by improving public policies to better support people affected by abuse, and by holding perpetrators accountable.

Prevention is important too, every day, but especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

May we all do our part to spread awareness, to talk about it, and to challenge the behavior of abusive people, and to stand up for survivors of domestic abuse, whoever they may be. Together, it is our individual actions that will put an end to domestic abuse in the State of Maine.

So, if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please call the statewide domestic abuse helpline at 1-866-834-HELP. That's 1-866-834-HELP.

If you or someone you know is deaf or hard of hearing, please have them call 1-800-437-1220. That's 1-800-437-1220.

Look, you are not alone, and escape from violence is possible.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.