Commentary
Today is a sad day in Columbus, Ohio as we come to grips with the news. Yesterday, the body of 25-year-old Summer Inmand from Logan, Ohio was found in a septic tank -- a victim of a horrible crime. Not only was she abducted and taken from her three children, but she was brutally murdered.
Although police are not indicating yet if her husband and in-laws will be charged with her murder and kidnapping, to those familiar with domestic violence we can see the writing on the wall. Summer was trying desperately to leave an abusive marriage. This was a courageous -- and dangerous -- step toward freedom. Yet the risks were clear.
Reports indicate Summer's husband regularly held her "captive" in their own home, taking her car keys, wallet and cell phone. And then, her in-laws would "gang up on her to just work things out." Even before her abduction, a pattern of control, isolation and captivity had been established. Kidnapping was not a new brainstorm for this family, they had already been engaging in it on a regular basis.
Court documents also reveal that her husband threatened to kill her over the children. And in this case, he may have made good his threat. While the details have yet to be released to the public, the coroner says that Summer appears to have been strangled.
Strangulation is an up close and personal way to control someone. And it can be lethal. In fact, strangulation can cause a victim to lose consciousness within 10 seconds and to die within four to five minutes.
Domestic violence advocates indicate that the act of strangulation symbolizes an extreme example of the abuser’s power and control over the victim. When being strangled, the victim is completely overwhelmed by the abuser. As she vigorously struggles for air, she is at the mercy of the abuser for her very life.
And it is common tactic used by abusers. In fact, studies show that up to 68 percent of domestic violence victims have experienced at least one strangulation assault by a male partner during their lifetime; and up to 47 percent of women report that their partner had tried to strangle them in the past year.
Furthermore, strangulation can be a recurring form of violence in abused women’s lives. In a study of 62 abused women who came to a shelter or a violence prevention center, 68 percent had a history of strangulation, and on an average, each woman had been strangled 5.3 times in their intimate relationships.
As compared to other forms of physical violence, strangulation often leaves no marks or any other external evidence on the skin. In a study of police records of 300 strangulation cases, victims did not have any visible injury in 50 percent of the cases and in 35 percent of the cases the injuries were too minor for the police to photograph. Perhaps this is why it has become so prevalent.
We may never know if strangulation was a repetitive form of abuse in Summer’s marriage, but based on statistics, chances are it was. So let us learn a couple things from Summer’s tragic death.
First, if someone you know has been abused by her boyfriend or husband, don’t take it lightly. Next time, she may not be fortunate enough to live to tell about it. Second, leaving an abuser is extremely risky. In fact, reports indicate that the risk of death of harm increases by 70 to 75 percent – mainly because the abuser is losing what he fears most – his control over the victim. Never encourage a victim to “just leave” an abuser without a strong support system and a safety plan in place. Let Summer’s death be a reminder of the extreme risks involved. We can never predict what another human being is capable of doing.
I am sure Summer Inman never guessed her husband would follow through on his threats to silence her. But it appears he did. May you rest in peace Summer Inman. You will be missed.
For more information on safety planning, click on the link above.
Strangulation facts courtesy of http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ortner/docs/factsheet_strangulation.pdf
Strangulation is an up close and personal way to control someone. And it can be lethal. In fact, strangulation can cause a victim to lose consciousness within 10 seconds and to die within four to five minutes.
Domestic violence advocates indicate that the act of strangulation symbolizes an extreme example of the abuser’s power and control over the victim. When being strangled, the victim is completely overwhelmed by the abuser. As she vigorously struggles for air, she is at the mercy of the abuser for her very life.
And it is common tactic used by abusers. In fact, studies show that up to 68 percent of domestic violence victims have experienced at least one strangulation assault by a male partner during their lifetime; and up to 47 percent of women report that their partner had tried to strangle them in the past year.
Furthermore, strangulation can be a recurring form of violence in abused women’s lives. In a study of 62 abused women who came to a shelter or a violence prevention center, 68 percent had a history of strangulation, and on an average, each woman had been strangled 5.3 times in their intimate relationships.
As compared to other forms of physical violence, strangulation often leaves no marks or any other external evidence on the skin. In a study of police records of 300 strangulation cases, victims did not have any visible injury in 50 percent of the cases and in 35 percent of the cases the injuries were too minor for the police to photograph. Perhaps this is why it has become so prevalent.
We may never know if strangulation was a repetitive form of abuse in Summer’s marriage, but based on statistics, chances are it was. So let us learn a couple things from Summer’s tragic death.
First, if someone you know has been abused by her boyfriend or husband, don’t take it lightly. Next time, she may not be fortunate enough to live to tell about it. Second, leaving an abuser is extremely risky. In fact, reports indicate that the risk of death of harm increases by 70 to 75 percent – mainly because the abuser is losing what he fears most – his control over the victim. Never encourage a victim to “just leave” an abuser without a strong support system and a safety plan in place. Let Summer’s death be a reminder of the extreme risks involved. We can never predict what another human being is capable of doing.
I am sure Summer Inman never guessed her husband would follow through on his threats to silence her. But it appears he did. May you rest in peace Summer Inman. You will be missed.
For more information on safety planning, click on the link above.
Strangulation facts courtesy of http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ortner/docs/factsheet_strangulation.pdf
