Sixteen years of sexual and emotional abuse was too much, but saying, “stop,” was not enough.

Pamela Corkle, junior mass communication and psychology major, was married for 16 years to a man whom she says continually raped her.

“I remember like it was yesterday,” Corkle said.

“He would come home from work; he’d be drunk and then the rape would start. I would tell him to stop but he would only laugh and continue. I remember him raping me for weeks at a time.”

It was in 1992 when Corkle decided enough was enough and decided she didn’t deserve to be abused.

This was the turning point for Corkle.

“I woke up early that morning and there he was, just sitting at the table, drinking some coffee,” she said.

“I looked him his face and told him if he ever raped me again, I would slit his throat.”

Corkle said she approached him in the morning because she knew he would be sober.

The sexual abuse stopped, but the emotional abuse gradually became worse.

“It was weird; he never physically abused me but emotional abuse was far worse than anything physical,” Corkle said.

Corkle said the signs of abuse were always there but she never thought much of them.

“He was very controlling, forceful in bed, an alcoholic and, at times, would be very demanding,” she said.

When the rape began, Corkle said she knew something was wrong.

“There came a time when I thought the rape was okay,” she said. “But I soon realized something was seriously going wrong.”

“I can’t believe I allowed him to keep me down for so long,” Corkle said.

Corkle began praying to God and knew she needed to take a stand.

In 1992, Corkle said she received a vision from God to start the Wheel of Life Coalition.

“The foundation of this coalition stems from sexual abuse as a child and the sexual abuse I had gone through while I was married,” she said.

The purpose of Wheel of Life is to let people know there is a way out and help is available.

“It shouldn’t have to hurt to be in a family,” Corkle said. “This is our motto.”

She wants people to know that they are not alone.

The month of October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

In support of the awareness, there will be activities sponsored by

the Lafayette House.

The Lafayette house was founded in 1978 as a refuge for victims of domestic violence.

The organization expanded through the years to meet the increase needs of area victims – adding sexual assault intervention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment and a licensed child-care center.

Hanging The Closeline Project will take place in the Spiva Center for the Arts from Oct. 11 to Oct. 17.

The project depicts to the public what victims have experienced.

“There will be several T-shirts hanging that have the expressions of how the victims feel about their domestic violence experience printed on their T-shirts,” said Teddy Brown, community service specialist.

Brown thinks raising community awareness will allow people to know that domestic abuse does happen and there are services available to help make a difference in the lives of many people.

For more information, call Lafayette Housing at 800-416-172.

For more information about

The Wheel of Life coalition e-mail Corkle at [email protected].