Marcus Silva, who has been countersued and called a “serial abuser”, is suing the women who helped his ex-wife escape his clutches and obtain an abortion via medication.
Silva obtained this information by breaking into his ex-wife’s phone to go through her text messages. In addition, the countersuit claims Silva was leveraging the abortion over the ex-wife during the divorce, threatening to go to the police about the abortion, and using it to obtain custody of the couple’s children.
Silva is suing for wrongful death and conspiracy, although the countersuit states he was aware of his ex’s intention before the abortion ever took place. He is said to have gotten drunk and verbally abused his former wife in front of friends, family, and co-workers alike. He is seeking over a million dollars in damages from his former wife.
Interestingly enough, his attorney is Jonathan Mitchell, who helped draft the Texas abortion ban.
As we feared when this legislation first saw the light of day, that women would be controlled by their spouses in the most heinous of ways when forced to carry pregnancies they didn’t want to term. This takes that fear and magnifies the lengths that abusers will go to when it comes to retaining power over their victims.
As a domestic abuse victim turned advocate and outspoken defender of women, I can’t tell you how this infuriates me. Not only did he humiliate and abuse this woman on countless occasions, but he also took that horrible incident and leveraged it to control her when she finally got the guts to leave him.
And to sue the friends who helped her? It’s already difficult to find help to leave an abuser. I literally have half of my face busted up as I type this from an encounter with an abusive spouse. (Not my own, I still do field work). This will tell people, “Don’t get involved, they’ll ruin your life”.
That’s what they want. They want you isolated, nobody to turn to, forced to just take it. Take anything they do to you, because you have nobody, nobody will help you, nobody will put your safety above their own livelihood.
Let me remind you, that isn’t true. There are people out here who do care, we will help you, and nothing that your abuser says or does matters to me in the slightest. I assure you; I will come into the pits of hell to get you if I have to. Please know that he may be able to push you around today, but we will get you somewhere that he will never be able to push you around again.
I know this looks like we may be stuck. We may be forced to endure the abuse that is doled out to us until the day we die. I’m asking you not to lose hope. Hold on. We will turn these tides. You just have to hang in there for a little while longer.
Any of you who are in an abusive situation, please, 800–799-SAFE. If you cannot reach out to The Hotline for any reason, and I understand the reasons, trust me, please hit me up on any of the platforms you read my column. I will help you, and I don’t give a damn about the abusive asshole who might try to sue me.
Please don’t give up. I assure you, those of us out here working night and day to get you out, we really couldn’t care less about this type of frivolous waste of resources. Let him make a fool of himself in court. I will never give up on a person leaving abuse simply because he may have a legal avenue of recourse.
We’re going to pull through this. Please believe me. I have been nearly dead at the hands of a man, and I still come back to pull women out of the bowels of hell. Don’t give up on me, and I won’t give up on you.
If you can, a copper IUD is your best bet right now. I understand if you can’t get that type of medical care, but if you contact someone at The Hotline, or even email me, I’ll help you find resources. You’re not alone. Please trust me. There are women out here who will help you, no matter how bad it feels in your home right now.
Please, don’t give up. This will pass.
It has to. God knows, this just has to.
—
Previously Published on Medium
iStock image