Linda Oberhaus, CEO

Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017
By Linda Oberhaus
CEO, The Shelter for Abused Women & Children

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Morgan Damas would have been nine years old, a beautiful budding ballerina. But there will be no dancing for Morgan. There will be no proms, graduations or weddings for her or any of her siblings. Her mother will never hold a grandchild in her arms.

On Sept. 18, 2009, officers found the body of Morgan’s mother Guerline Dieu-Damas inside the stairwell closet of their North Naples townhome. She was bound with a white electrical cord, her throat cut and a black plastic bag pulled over her head. Upstairs they found the bodies of 19-month-old Morgan and her brothers and sisters, Michzach, 9; Marven, 6; Maven, 5; and Megan, 3, all of whom died from knife wounds.

For the past eight years, their confessed killer and husband/father Mesac Damas has managed to manipulate the justice system as skillfully as he manipulated his victims. It is fitting that his sentencing will come at the end of October – National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

As I write this, the heartache of these brutal, inexplicable murders is as tangible today as it was eight years ago. We do not know what will take place at the sentencing on Oct. 27, but we do know that six beautiful, innocent lives were violently torn from our community and no amount of justice will ever bring them back.

This month, and throughout the year, The Shelter calls on every Collier County resident to take a stand for countless victims like Guerline and her children, as well as survivors, families, friends and communities impacted by domestic violence.

Last year in Collier County, there were 1,607 reports of domestic violence, including 5 murders, 22 forcible rapes and 217 aggravated assaults. Chances are very likely you know at least one of these victims because domestic violence crosses all ethnic, economic, and geographic boundaries. Victims and abusers live next door to you, play bridge at your club, work out at your gym and share your pew in church.

We cannot remain silent. We must take a stand to ensure the safety of all members of our community and hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. Here’s how you can help:

Recognize abuse: Domestic violence is not always as obvious as black eyes and split lips. The signs can be more ambiguous, such as lapses in communication or changes in valued routines. Regular churchgoers, the Damas family stopped attending nine months prior to their murders. This seemingly small lifestyle change could have signaled an issue and started a conversation. If you notice such a change in a friend, relative or co-worker, don’t assume it means nothing. Call to see why you have not heard from them. Tell them you miss seeing them in church or at the gym. The response or lack of response may signal a concern and possibly save a life. You can learn more about the signs of domestic violence at naplesshelter.org/signs.

Report abuse: When you notice something suspicious, it may be easy to tell yourself that it is none of your business. This response can have disastrous and far-reaching results. Across the country, the mass murder in Las Vegas is on nearly everyone’s mind, lips and social media feed. As I write this, we know very little about the killer, but we do know that many mass-murderers have had a history of domestic violence prior to committing their violent public attacks. Failure to recognize and report domestic violence can put the entire community at risk because violence at home does not stop at the front door.

There is no amount of justice that can restore the lives of Guerline and her children, but we can honor their memory by collaborating to end domestic violence and human trafficking in our community so that no other family will ever bear this kind of pain.

If you suspect or observe domestic violence, call the CCSO tips line at 239-252-9300 or go to colliersheriff.org/how-do-i-/tip-us-off (you may remain anonymous). If you are a victim of abuse or feel unsafe due to a violent relationship, call The Shelter’s 24-hour Crisis Line at 239-775-1101.

Naples Daily News
October 16, 2016
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For 27 years, the Shelter for Abused Women & Children has protected and empowered survivors of abuse. Thanks to unwavering community support and strong alliances with school, law enforcement, judicial and elected officials, we have grown from a renovated four-plex in 1989 to a 60-bed, state-of-the-art campus with seven transitional housing cottages.

Our prevention, protection and outreach programs are transforming thousands of lives each year, offering hope and healing to Collier’s most vulnerable citizens.

But this is not enough.

Today, the shelter announces plans for a second emergency shelter to address a serious and growing need for services in rural eastern Collier County. Thanks to a $3 million lead gift, the approximately 13,000-square-foot emergency shelter will be located in Immokalee. The 30-plus bed facility will include a wing for survivors of domestic violence and another to meet the long-term therapeutic needs of victims of human trafficking.

Why Immokalee and why now?

Established in 1997, the services provided by the Immokalee Outreach Office have grown exponentially over the years. In 2000, the shelter was recognized as a national model for its work serving immigrant and migrant battered women. The addition of an Immokalee emergency shelter will allow survivors to be safe as well as close to their family support systems, employment and their children’s schools.

Currently, many survivors return to unsafe circumstances rather than travel to Naples for emergency shelter.

The need to serve victims of human trafficking has also increased in Collier County. Nationally, Florida ranks as one of the top four destinations for trafficking victims. While we live in a community that one might not associate with human trafficking, it is important to note that the shelter has served 38 victims of human trafficking in just the last two years. Most of these were victims of sex trafficking.

Increased awareness of human trafficking has led the Collier County Sheriff’s Office to dedicate a full-time detective specifically for human trafficking. On March 6, 2015, the Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 15 traffickers and rescued six women, some of whom were forced to perform 25 to 45 sex acts a day.

“There is no other agency in Collier County better prepared to address the short- and long-term needs of domestic violence and human-trafficking victims than the shelter,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, Collier commissioners and sheriff’s officials recognized this in a memorandum of understanding, naming the shelter as the county’s foremost service provider to meet the needs of domestic violence and human-trafficking victims.

To measure the need for an emergency facility in Immokalee, the shelter launched an extensive needs assessment. The study utilized data from law enforcement and judiciary sources, information from focus groups, surveys and interviews with Immokalee residents, as well as the input of 32 community organizations.

Updated in 2015, the assessment provides concrete assurance of the need for an emergency shelter in Immokalee. Like the Naples community in 1989, the residents of Immokalee have come together, recognizing the issue of domestic violence and human trafficking and the need for culturally specific services within their community. But they need county wide support to make this facility a reality.

As the shelter moves forward, we anticipate the continued, compassionate support that has created a safe haven for survivors in coastal Collier County.

It is my firm belief that every human being deserves to live a life free from violence and abuse. This is the reality we seek every day at the shelter as we work to prevent, protect and prevail over domestic violence and human trafficking. It is a reality we seek for all residents in Collier County, for if people cannot feel safe in their own home, then they cannot be expected to feel safe anywhere.

Please join us in this critical initiative.

For more information on how you can get involved, go online to naplesshelter.org/ immokalee or call 239-775-3862.

Oberhaus is executive director of the Shelter for Abused Women & Children.

LINDA OBERHAUS
NAPLES

At 16, Ellie couldn’t believe her luck. After answering an ad on Craig’s List, she was flown from California to Miami, with promises of her dream job in modeling. Three years later, battered and bruised, Ellie was brought to The Shelter from the hospital. Instead of a dream job, she had been thrust into a nightmare of violence and forced prostitution with a trafficker who sold her for sex on a website called Back Page.

Ellie’s story epitomizes the unspeakable dehumanization suffered by thousands of human trafficking victims exploited for sexual purposes or forced labor in the United States. But she is one of the lucky ones. The average life span of a human trafficking victim is seven years; Ellie got out in three, thanks to deputies, who identified her as a victim rather than a criminal. Ellie cooperated fully with local law enforcement. She found safe housing, clothing and counseling at The Shelter and was ultimately reunited with her mother in California.

Unfortunately, most cases of human trafficking do not have happy endings.

January marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and it is noteworthy that just this week, two suspected traffickers were arrested and four victims rescued in Collier County. This follows on the March 2015 bust of the largest human trafficking sting ever uncovered in our area, with 10 arrests and approximately 15 victims rescued. Obviously, human trafficking has found a home in Collier County.

As you read this commentary, human trafficking is the fastest growing and third largest organized criminal activity in the world, just behind the drug and arms trades. Florida ranks third in the nation for calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In Collier County, the number of human trafficking related investigations jumped from 7 in 2013 to 27 in 2014, after the establishment of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office human trafficking unit.

Human trafficking is a lucrative industry, representing an estimated $9.8 billion in the U.S. and $32 billion internationally. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a trafficker can make up to 150,000-$200,000 per person each year and the average pimp has four to six girls.

It is important to understand that human trafficking can happen to anyone, anywhere and in any situation. In the United States, 83 percent of trafficking victims are American and 50 percent are children. The average age of a trafficking victim is 13. Few ever come forward for fear of retaliation, shame, or lack of understanding of what is happening to them.

Although the crisis of human trafficking has more recently made headlines, the problem has thrived in the shadows for many years.  For too long, victims of human trafficking have been treated as criminals, facing jail time rather than receiving emergency shelter and the support they deserve. Much like the domestic violence movement of the early 1980s, today’s push to raise awareness of human trafficking will initiate the social change needed to provide victims with the services they need to heal and return to society as productive citizens.

The Shelter for Abused Women & Children stands in partnership with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office as the only human service organization in Collier County with the facilities and professional staff required to meet the needs of human trafficking victims. Last year, we provided emergency shelter and support for 17 victims of human trafficking and their six children. To better serve the unique needs of this group of survivors, our long-range plans include expansion of our human trafficking services.

It is important for everyone to learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking to combat this horrific crime. Be aware of and report any activity that looks suspicious to you. Don’t assume it is not your business. Most of the traffickers in the March 2015 sting were operating in broad daylight in single family neighborhoods. In addition to a high volume of traffic at a residence, individual signs of human trafficking in a victim may include:

• Signs of physical, emotional, or psychological abuse
• Fear, depression, or signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Malnourishment or exhaustion
• Threats to self or family
• Debt owed to employer
• Signs of being controlled (someone speaking for them; escorting them to/from work)
• Gaps in story
• Tattoos/branding

If you know of or suspect that someone is a victim of human trafficking or domestic violence, call The Shelter’s 24-hour crisis hotline at 239-775-1101.

Linda Oberhaus
Executive Director
The Shelter for Abused Women & Children