LEWISTON, Maine — Last year, calls to domestic violence resource centers across Maine jumped 10 percent over the previous year. According to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, 15,147 people received help in 2023—more than any prior year.
Safe Voices, which serves Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties, is also seeing a significant spike in calls for help—especially in the months after Robert Card killed 18 people in a mass shooting in Lewiston last October, reflecting a nationwide trend.
The nonprofit said for nine weeks, calls to its helpline spiked 34 percent after the mass shooting incident and that the demand for support and resources has only dropped off slightly.
Safe Voices Executive Director Rebecca Austin believes the increase in the tri-county area reflects a nationwide trend when high-profile cases of violence can prompt more people experiencing abuse and violence to reach out for help.
"Survivors watch those stories, and they see their own lived experiences reflected in them, which can encourage them to reach out for support," Austin explained.
The Lewiston-based nonprofit provides advocacy and services for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and sexual exploitation to about 2700 people annually. And there is another area of concern.
"The cases that have been coming to us are not only more, but the level of violence and severity has also been increasing," Austin said.
Former EMT and firefighter Jolene Miles made that call eight years ago.
"When you are planning to get out of the relationship, it becomes the scariest," Miles recalled.
The mother of six suffered from emotional abuse during her marriage to Michael Ianotti for years. Two of her children are from her relationship with him.
In 2019, Ianotti was arrested for strangling her. But as part of a plea deal, he returned to the streets after serving 18 months. A Safe Voices advocate helped Miles develop a safety plan, filed police reports and restraining orders, and supported her in court. Miles started divorce proceedings and said Ianotti stalked her, violating protection from abuse orders and bail conditions. That included texts and threatening phone calls.
"He went from love bombing me to I am going to kill you and your kids, starting with your oldest," Miles said.
The incidents culminated in a life-threatening incident in her driveway last year.
"He gunned it and tried to run me over in front of the children," Miles said, holding back tears.
She said Ianotti bailed out and was involved in a high-speed chase that involved several police agencies. His plea deal dismissed the domestic violence assault with priors, with the remaining 12 charges, including seven felonies. He ended up with a sentence of three years, which he is currently serving.
Miles now breeds golden retrievers, some providing comfort to survivors as therapy dogs. But she worries about her and her children's safety once her abuser is released from prison.
"What do we do next? He is going to get out," Miles said fiercely.
She plans to have Safe Voices alongside her as she and her family face this next chapter.
If you or someone you care about is in a violent relationship, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence has a 24-hour helpline. That number is 1-866-834-HELP (4357).