Report: Spokane County sees higher rate of domestic violence than statewide average

SPOKANE, Wash. — “I mean, you know, it’s a process. Take it a day at a time. Some days are better than others.”

It’s hard to imagine a worse day than April 23 for Missy Robertson. It started with her estranged husband Justin tying her to the bed with a cell phone charging cable — and it only got worse from there.

“I had no idea that at that moment he would become violent like he did,” Missy said. “It wasn’t until, of course, the knife started making contact and stuff that then, of course, I realized how real it was.”

Missy and so many others in Spokane County are all too familiar with that pain and panic. A new report from the Women Helping Women Fund shows in 2016, there were 10.4 domestic violence offenses per 1,000 residents in Spokane County, compared to 7.4 offenses per 1,000 residents statewide.

Missy says Justin cut her 62 times that morning, while her 5-year-old son Ethan begged Justin to stop. She managed to survive, but says Justin grabbed Ethan and ran out of the house, which set off an AMBER Alert. Justin eventually let Ethan go before killing himself.

WHWF’s report shows that in 2016, about one in four kids witnessed adult violence. Researchers say that can have longlasting effects on kids in the years to come, affecting their food security and income levels. But Ethan and Missy are still here to break that cycle.

“Working on, you know, moving forward with our future and looking forward to new happy memories,” Missy said.

Missy spoke out about her experience for the first time Thursday. She even got the chance to meet the dispatcher who helped save her life. You can read more about their first face-to-face meeting here.

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