A recent murder-suicide in Palm Beach County has put the spotlight on the devastating effects of intimate partner violence.
Research shows there is a strong connection between domestic violence and suicide, advocates said. And with National Suicide Prevention Month in September and Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, they’re calling attention to what one called “a really misunderstood topic.”
“I think we as a society don’t want to talk about it, and so a lot of people don’t understand how or when someone is suicidal,” said Rosie Johnson, director of the local domestic violence coordinated community response with Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse , based in Delray Beach.
Help is available for people experiencing domestic violence or suicidal thoughts. Call the Palm Beach County Victim Services 24-hour helpline at 561-833-7273; the Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse 24-hotline at 800-355-8547; or the 24-hour Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
On Sept. 2, Boca Raton Police said a 62-year-old man killed his 60-year-old wife, then himself. The wife had called a family member earlier , who could hear a disturbance in the background as the woman said her husband wanted to kill her, police said.