Emma makes documentary for RTE
A BRAVE domestic abuse survivor is helping other victims with a new RTE documentary.
In 2015 Emma Murphy decided to pour her heart out on social media in a video message about her abusive relationship.
After discovering her partner Francis Usanga had been cheating on her, she confronted him and he punched her in the face.
A tearful Emma, 26, posted her video message online revealing her fears for her life and her two children.
Usanga was found guilty of attacking her and ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service.
Dubliner Emma encouraged women to take a stand and not endure abuse.
She spent two years producing and starring in documentary Emma Murphy Fights Back.
Speaking to TV Now Magazine, she said: “It’s amazing the hold somebody’s persona could have over you.
“I was a single mother, I had two very young babies. No one sets out to be a single mam, people don’t understand that when you’re a mam you don’t
have an income so you’re so reliant on someone else, so it’s not that easy to walk away.”
Emma’s video went viral and had more than 10 million views, inspiring domestic abuse victims to get help and leave their abusers.
In the documentary Emma uses her experience to make a difference.
With eight out of 10 women not reporting abusive relationships, domestic violence is a silent problem in Ireland. In the programme the courageous mum of two meets victims of domestic violence at secure refuges to hear their stories. Giving her Ted Talk on living with abuse made her realise she needed to help other women.
She said: “When I was speaking and seeing people, looking out into the crowd, and they were listening to me and there were tears.
“When I went outside, people were queuing up to speak to me to share their story with me and to tell me that they understood and just hug me.”
Leaving her abusive relationship means she’s the primary caregiver to her two children which can be a struggle.
She added: “You can only do certain things within certain amounts of time, like when they are in creche.
“I always want to better myself and it does make it more difficult.
“But they are not going to be young for ever and I have to remind myself I’m doing OK, I’ve done a lot and not to be hard on myself.”