My name is John and I am a domestic abuse survivor. My partner’s name was J--. J-- R--. I can scarcely remember a day where he did not hit me. Many of my personal belongings were destroyed. If I was minutes late returning from work, it was on. Sometimes I would arrive at my job at the U of MN with bruises.

One day I thought I had finally found the courage to get out. A friend offered to help. He asked J-- to come over to his place so they could discuss something. While he was there, I called and told him I could not handle the things he did to me in the relationship. Since I had his keys to the apartment and thought I was safe from him. However, he left my friend’s place eight blocks away, ran to the apartment building, waited for someone else to exit through the front doors, and came to my apartment demanding to be let inside. When I resisted he became infuriated. He broke through the door and assaulted me. He held a knife to my throat saying that I had better not pull a stunt like that again. I apologized, pleading and saying I would never try to leave him again.