SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — According to national reports, one in four women are the victim of domestic violence, along with one in nine men. In a city the size of Sioux Falls, that adds up to tens of thousands of people.
23-year-old Emily Eirinberg was one of them. Police say her ex-boyfriend is accused of stalking and murdering her in early February.
Now, two weeks after her violent death, her family has a message for the community. On Tuesday, class at Ignite Fitness Studio paused for the heavy, but important discussion.
“It feels like just yesterday,” Emily’s sister Torrey Eirinberg said. “She just started to see little signs of control.”Emily’s family says she loved nature. She loved her friends, and she loved to dance. They say an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend took all of these amazing things from Emily. “In that relationship with this young man, she got cut off from it. She got cut off from her friends, from that support. He kind of broke her self-esteem and self-confidence,” Emily’s mom Patty Eirinberg said. Emily’s story is her family’s ‘why’— why they want to make other people aware of domestic abuse resources, something they wish they’d known more about.
The Compass Center is one of those. “We have a lot of people that do come to us and they’re unsure that they are in an unhealthy situation and an unsafe situation. We have advocates available to talk to them and just discuss what their options are,” Compass Center’s director of community advocacy Sara Krekelberg said. There’s no cost, no need to share your identity and no reason to feel ashamed.
“You don’t have to make a report to come to us,” Krekelberg said. “We accept everybody and anybody.”
The Compass Center offers services for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. It also offers resources for those who have experienced human trafficking and stalking related abuse.
“The main thing is to encourage the talk and getting help and not being embarrassed. It’s not their fault where they’re at,” Patty Eirinberg said. “It’s not their fault.”
Emily’s family says it’s part of their efforts to save even just one life. “That will be one life that Emily saved,” Patty Eirinberg said.The Compass Center is located in Sioux Falls. You can contact the nonprofit here.
For immediate assistance, call 1-877-IN-CRISIS.
