It was with great shock and sadness that the Cabo Verdean community and supporters throughout the area learned of the brutal murder of Brockton resident Eugenia Monteiro on Monday, January 9. Monteiro, a 30-year-old Cabo Verdean mother of two, was reportedly shot multiple times by her ex-boyfriend, Matias Andrade, who was found dead of an apparent suicide on Tuesday. According to Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, these appear to be the state’s first known domestic violence-related deaths in 2017.

Several organizations including MAPS that provide Domestic Violence programs staffed by Cabo Verdean Creole- and/or Portuguese-speaking professionals stepped forward this week to offer free, confidential services and support to bereaved community members.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Eugenia Monteiro. Domestic violence remains one of the greatest public health and public safety crises of our time, and it impacts all communities.  Health Imperatives is committed to providing free, confidential and culturally competent crisis counseling, emergency shelter, assistance with restraining orders and advocacy and support to survivors as well as to their family and friends,” said Julia E. Kehoe, President and CEO at Health Imperatives, Inc. of Brockton.

Some of the organizations providing support for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Brockton and surrounding areas include:

• Health Imperatives, providing comprehensive services and support to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. These services are open to all individuals regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, or language. Services are available in English, Spanish, Cabo Verdean Creole and Brazilian Portuguese. 24/7 crisis hotline: 508-588-8255 http://healthimperatives.org/interpersonal-violence-services/.
• Family & Community Resources, Inc., also of Brockton, providing a range of services for adults and children affected by domestic violence and trauma, with staff who speak a range of languages, including Cabo Verdean Creole, Portuguese, and Spanish, at 508-583-6498, http://www.fcr-ma.org/.
• Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), providing health and social services in Portuguese and Cabo Verdean Creole in Greater Boston and beyond. DV/SA Services are available in Dorchester, 617-825-5897; Brighton, 617-787-0557; Cambridge, 617-864-7600; Lowell, 978-970-1250, and Framingham, 508-872-2652; www.maps-inc.org.

The providers urged others suffering from violence in the community to reach out for help.

“It is crucial for members of our community to trust their instincts, and be aware of the warning signs for potential violence,” said Dulce Ferreira, MA, MAPS Director of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services. “If you feel your life or that of someone you know might be in danger, please seek free and confidential support and guidance from a trained domestic violence advocate at an organization like ours. If someone is in immediate danger, please contact your local police.”

“Fighting domestic violence is an ongoing battle, and incidents such as this one can leave us feeling desperate and frustrated, but they must serve as a reminder that we all need do our part in changing attitudes and creating a safer community,“ said Ruth Zakarin, LICSW, Director of Trauma Services at the Family and Community Resources, Inc.

To find local domestic or sexual violence service programs near you in Massachusetts, use Jane Doe Inc.’s interactive search directory at www.JaneDoe.org/find_help/search. For immediate assistance in Massachusetts, please contact: SafeLink 1-877-785-2020; TTY: 1-877-521-2601. Outside of Massachusetts, get in touch with the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233).