Bureau: 32% college students victims of abuse

March 27 was the day that changed the life of pre-nursing student Sandra Murray forever, when her boyfriend, Terrance Candidate, kicked in the door to her parents’ home, held Sandra and her parents hostage with a butcher knife and stabbed her father. This was the final episode in a series of many incidents of domestic violence that ultimately led to the final arrest and conviction of Terrence Candidate and his subsequent sentencing to prison for 45 years. 

“I told Terrance that we wouldn’t be together anymore and he didn’t believe me. I guess he finally came to that realization and snapped,” Murray said.

Murray was in a relationship with Candidate for a year and described him as charming, protective and a smooth talker with a lot of “swag.” He was everything that she wanted. As the relationship continued, she noticed changes in his attitude, and his charming ways became possessive.

“He had to know where I was at all times, so he would take me to school and pick me up. He sat and watched me while I would do my homework and even regulated what friends I could talk to. He didn’t even want me talking to my parents,” Murray said.

Murray saw the effects that her relationship with Candidate had on her family but was scared to leave.  She loved him and leaving meant being alone. She felt she needed him for support.

“I begged and begged Sandra to leave him. I couldn’t understand why she was putting up with the abuse both physically and emotionally and it was changing her,” said Sandra Murray’s mother, Auderienne Murray.

Sandra Murray moved out of the apartment that she shared with Candidate on March 20 and moved home with her parents.  It was a week later when Candidate broke into her parents’ home and held her family hostage. He was convicted and was sentenced to 45 years for kidnapping, aggravated burglary and felonious assault.

Approximately 32 percent of college students are the victims of domestic violence, and 1,200 lives each year are lost to domestic violence, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics.

“The age group 15-25 has the fastest growing population of domestic violence,” said Margaret Drew, UC Law professor and director of UC’s Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Order Clinic. “I think both men and women are quite vulnerable and not sophisticated in relationships. It seems to be more accepted in culture and music.”

Drew runs the Domestic Violence Civil Protection Clinic, which opened in fall of 2005 and is a partnership with Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati. The clinic provides representation in civil protection order hearings to victims of domestic violence.

“When going through my relationship, I wish I would have [sought] help not just from my family, but professional help,” Murray said. “Maybe the situation wouldn’t have escalated to that point.”

There are many resources at UC and in the surrounding areas that help women who experience violence, including The Women’s Center, UCPD and Women
Helping Women.

“If I could give advice to anyone going through a domestic situation, [I’d say] don’t be afraid to get help. Let your parents know what’s going on and not everyone is judgmental, you’ll be surprised, I was. It can be a matter of life and death,” said Murray.