They've been choked, slapped, raped and molested by friends, loved ones and strangers.

They've been called "sluts," told to dress less provocatively and blamed for what happened to them.

But at Thursday night's 23rd annual Take Back the Night rally at Courthouse Square, they were more than just survivors of sexual and domestic violence - they were courageous, brave and encouraging symbols of hope for the crowd of more than 400 people gathered there to support them.

The rally directly addressed an issue many people feel uncomfortable talking about, said Justine Johnson, director of the Jane Kopas Women's Center at the University of Scranton.

"I think sexual assault is an issue we rarely talk about," she said. "And when we have an event with a crowd of more than 400 people, that says this is an issue."

The event was a partnership between the Women's Resource Center and the University of Scranton. Countless women stood in a line of survivors more than 20 people deep, telling their stories and urging their fellow abused to speak out and ask for help.

"We want to inspire you to take an active role in your community," said Anna Faramelli of the Women's Resource Center. "We need to hold each other accountable for the language we use and the actions we take."

Colorful T-shirts were hung on clotheslines around Courthouse Square with positive messages of perseverance and hope, hand painted by those who were victimized.

Emily Miko, a student at the University of Scranton, told the crowd how an older man at the restaurant she worked at as a teenager sexually assaulted her in their workplace. For years, she struggled to deal with her feelings and the repercussions of the assault. She found solace when she finally opened up.

"I discovered my vulnerability makes me beautiful," Ms. Miko said.

Contact the writer: ksullivan@ timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter

HAZLETON - Two-year-old Emanuel Gonzalez was beaten to death in December 2007, a victim of domestic violence.

The case shocked many in Luzerne County, and a Hazleton investigator said it was one of the worst cases of domestic violence this area witnessed in recent years.

Paula Triano, executive director of the Domestic Violence Service Center, which serves Luzerne and Carbon counties, said Luzerne County had the third-highest number of domestic violence homicides in Pennsylvania in 2009 and 2011. There were nine deaths in 2009 and 11 deaths in 2011 in Luzerne County, ranking it behind only Philadelphia and Allegheny County.

According to records kept by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Lackawanna County had four domestic violence deaths in 2011, tying six other counties for 11th place among the 36 counties that had domestic violence deaths that year; and two in 2009, tying five other counties for 21st place in the state out of the 41 that had domestic violence deaths.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence collects information on extreme cases of domestic violence from local media accounts and compiles an annual fatality report. The list is meant to raise awareness of domestic violence in the hope of preventing it, to remember the victims and to hold perpetrators accountable, said Peg Dierkers, executive director of the coalition, which works with 60 domestic violence centers in the state.

Ms. Dierkers called domestic violence a "silent epidemic," because people are embarrassed to talk about it. That illustrates a point well-known to those who deal with domestic violence - not every case is reported, but by reaching out to the public with information, perhaps the next one can be avoided.

Tiny fractures

Emanuel was unresponsive and covered in vomit inside the Hazleton apartment he shared with his mother, Lillian Torres, and her then-boyfriend, Alexander Garcia, when an ambulance crew responded to a 911 call for a fall victim.

An autopsy showed the boy had more than 100 injuries and died from multiple traumatic injuries due to blunt force trauma. Prosecutors said Mr. Garcia caused those injuries, and Ms. Torres didn't do enough to stop it.

Domestic violence is not just between a man and a woman, according to Jenny Roberts, head of the Luzerne County district attorney's Special Victims Unit. She said an adult abuse victim often will say their abuser would never hit a child, but in Emanuel's case, the abuser did - repeatedly.

Mr. Garcia was physically abusing his girlfriend and she was scared of him, but the abuse "trickled down to her son," Ms. Roberts said. Had Ms. Torres done something about her own abuse, the toddler may have not died, she said.

Hazleton Detective Lt. Ken Zipovsky said Mr. Garcia controlled Ms. Torres. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole, court papers state. Ms. Torres pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children. She was sentenced to nine to 23 months in prison.

Talking in general terms, Ms. Triano said she often will hear people ask about a domestic violence victim, "Why didn't she just leave?" But the truth, she said, is outsiders don't know the victim's circumstances. Only the victim knows when it's safe to leave, Ms. Triano said.

Ms. Roberts said fear, love, extreme life changes, embarrassment and an economic necessity sometimes make a person stay in an abusive relationship. Lt. Zipovsky said some victims feel that if they keep the abuser around, at least they can watch what they are doing.

Physical abuse is only part of domestic violence, he said. Abusers know their victims intimately, they know their fears and they know how to prey on them, Lt. Zipovsky said.

"They know how to get power and control," he said.

Leaving, he said, is one of the most dangerous times.

Ms. Triano said the aggressor displays power and control and when the victim decides to leave, the abuser is starting to lose that power and control.

Typically, Ms. Triano said her center sees a victim nine to 10 times before they permanently leave the abuser.

The agency offers options counseling, she said, never telling the victim what to do but providing enough knowledge to empower them to make the right decision when they know it's safe to make a move.

"We can tell them to leave, but it may be the time he kills her," Ms. Triano said.

Though a domestic violence conviction will not keep a perpetrator in jail for life, by leaving and pressing charges, the victim is regaining power; it shows a "great deal" of strength to testify against the abuser and admit being a victim, Ms. Roberts said.

"It's also showing the abuser you are strong, that you can do that, that you will do it," she said.

Lt. Zipovsky said many victims are ashamed to admit violence in their home, but they shouldn't be. The victim hasn't done anything wrong, he said, and police and domestic violence agencies are there to help.

While some cases are reported to police and some victims find a way out, others do neither.

Sugarloaf Twp. Police Chief Josh Winters believes there are more cases of domestic violence than police are aware of.

Hand on a trigger

Domestic violence often starts with yelling and screaming, and sometimes it gets worse, leaving one of those involved fearing they will be injured. Chief Winters said a person should call police at the point they fear things may turn physically violent.

Ms. Roberts said domestic violence affects all types of people from different races, socio-economic backgrounds, ages and educational levels. It can be related to alcohol and drugs or mental health issues, she said, though they are not always the reason.

Alcohol and drugs play a big role in domestic violence because they change people's perception, as they cannot think as clearly as they would if sober. "How many people get the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome?" Chief Winters said.

Ms. Triano said the economy causes stress that exacerbates domestic violence.

Butler Twp. Police Chief David Pavelko added infidelity, loss of a job or end of a relationship to the list of triggers for domestic violence. Cases seem to rise during holidays, he said, possibly due to financial stress and alcohol consumption.

Chief Pavelko also said if the abuser was exposed to domestic violence as a child, it could make the person more likely to turn into an abuser as an adult.

"And the cycle continues," he said.

Over the past few decades, state laws have been changed to provide police and victims a safer outcome, Lt. Zipovsky said.

Ms. Roberts said in domestic violence cases, law enforcement has a legal right to make an arrest if they see visible signs of an assault, unlike other cases where they need a witness.

If a victim refuses to file charges against the abuser or get police involved, they can still obtain a protection-from-abuse order, which is a civil document available in county court, Ms. Roberts said.

Often an officer will file charges in domestic cases and the victim refuses to testify. In other cases, the victim backs out once it gets to court because they have "mended their fences," Chief Winters said. In a lot of those cases, he said, police will return to the address.

Though that outcome is "unsettling" to police, Lt. Zipovsky said, it's not a failure because the officer removed the victim from further harm. It also gave the victims a chance to get away from the abuse and decide if they want help, he said.

Chief Winters said domestic violence victims are handed information by police about the crime, but they have to decide to follow that advice.

Even without a victim, Lt. Zipovsky said police can still proceed with charges if there is enough evidence.

The detective said domestic violence emergency calls are among the most dangerous for law enforcement to handle because an officer is entering a person's home during a turbulent time where weapons can be used against police.

There also are times where a victim stands up for the abuser and impedes the arrest, becoming violent toward police.

Chief Pavelko said officers go into a domestic violence case expecting the worst.

Resources

Ms. Triano said she has seen "horrible things" - women with bruises and cigarette burns, for instance, "things you can't imagine" - through her work at the Domestic Violence Service Center.

She has seen success stories, too, such as an unnamed woman who finally left her abuser permanently before coming to the center. She went back to school, became a registered nurse and now helps people in need.

Ms. Roberts said victims often are referred to the center, which provides shelter in addition to counseling and information.

Domestic violence centers are anonymous, not marked with a sign. "It's a safe haven where they can go," Ms. Roberts said, adding that not even district attorneys know where they are.

Ms. Triano said the center offers transitional housing, counseling, support groups, advocacy with other agencies, accompaniment to protection-from-abuse hearings, children's programs and training programs.

Abusers also are encouraged to call the center to help themselves, as it has contacts for aggressor counseling.

The Luzerne County district attorney's office has a victim/witness unit that provides information on victim compensation for medical bills and property damage and on counseling.

"I think they should know that there is help and this is not something they have to keep living with," Chief Winters said. "Stop suppressing it, thinking it will cure itself, and make a move to make it better."

Contact the writer: achristman@standardspeaker.comWarning signs

Local police, the Domestic Violence Service Center and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence offer these warning signs of being in an abusive relationship:

-âBeing isolated from family and friends.

-âThe abuser frequently embarrasses or makes fun of someone in front of others.

-âIntimidation is used to make the victim do what the abuser wants.

-âThe victim feels there is no way out of the relationship.

-âThe person is forced to perform sex acts they don't enjoy.

-âThreats of force, with words or weapons involved.

-âUses drugs or alcohol as an excuse for the abuse.

-âGets angry frequently with no reason why.

-âBlaming the victim for the pain they have caused.

For help

More information and education materials can be found at www.pcadv.org. It is confidential and free.

In Lackwanna and Susquehanna counties, call the Women's Resource Center 24-hour crisis line at 346-4671 (Lackawanna County) or 800-257-5765 (Susquehanna County). In Luzerne and Carbon counties, call the Domestic Violence Service Center at 823-6799 (daytime) or the hotline at 823-7312 or 800-424-5600.