“Through this pain there is purpose, and this is my purpose,” mother Corrina Martin said.
Martin gets emotional as she remembers her daughter Alyssiah Wiley.
“It is excruciating because you don’t want your babies to hurt, you don’t want your babies to go through anything,” Martin said.
Back in 2013, Wiley was a sophomore majoring in psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University when she was killed by her boyfriend Jermain Richards. He is now serving a 60-year prison sentence.
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“That is the biggest hurt that I have to live with. There is so much if I would have known that I would have tried to do,” Martin said.
Martin said at the time, she didn’t know what her then 20-year-old daughter was dealing with behind closed doors.
After Wiley’s murder and the investigation is when Martin learned the extent of the physical and emotional abuse her daughter endured.
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“Oh well, 'I knew you were home,' or 'I saw that you were home and I just wanted to come over.' Different things like that would happen,” Martin said.
Martin founded the nonprofit organization Mothers of Victims Equality and has made it her life’s work to bring awareness to domestic violence.
“When you are in a relationship, you want that relationship to be between you and that person but sometimes ask yourself or ask someone else, 'Is this normal?'” Martin said.
On Tuesday, the ECSU campus held its third annual event remembering Wiley, to teach students about relationship, dating and intimate partner violence.
“I think it is a great way to raise awareness,” freshman Daria Fournier said. “Most importantly, if you feel like something is wrong about a situation, to tell someone.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
