Linda Oberhaus comments on Cape Coral Mayor filing restraining order

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral mayor Marni Sawicki said she felt threatened and afraid in court documents she filed to place a restraining order on her ex-boyfriend, a city employee.

Sawicki, who was absent from Monday’s City Council meeting, said she’s scared to attend the meetings because of the presence of her ex-boyfriend, according to the documents. She said he leaves her threatening voicemails and sends hundreds of texts a day.

“In this case there were a lot of red flags that this person is in an abusive relationship,” said Linda Oberhaus, executive director of The Shelter for Abused Women & Children in Naples. “You know when she talked about getting hundreds of texts a day, being physically threatened, him coming to her work place unexpectedly, banging on doors and windows… .”

Sawicki declined to address the matter in a statement she texted to WINK News, calling it a personal matter, not a city one. Still, it casts a public light on an issue that affects many in Southwest Florida and elsewhere.

“Domestic violence for many years has been a private family matter, and unless we’re talking about it, and doing something about it, we’re never going to ultimately eliminate it,” Oberhaus said.