81. Rachel Bellesen Survives Her Abuser & the Justice System

Warning: The case we discuss today involves physical and sexual assault. https://www.thehotline.org If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help 24/7, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). On the surface, Rachel Bellesen appeared to be a typical mom of two boys. She was 38 years old, had a great job working for the domestic violence shelter in Kalispell, Montana, and was married to the love of her life. However, like many of the women she worked with, Rachel knew what it was like to be caught in the cycle of abuse. She had spent many years in an abusive marriage to her abuser/ex-husband, Jacob Glace. Rachel got a call on the morning of October 8, 2020 from Jacob threatening to hurt one of her sons after hearing a rumor about his sexual orientation. Jacob said he thought he could “beat the gay” out of his child, Rachel knew this wasn’t an empty threat. She thought she might be able to reason with him if they could meet and talk it over. The conversation quickly turned south and Jacob attacked Rachel. She was forced to shoot him with the gun she kept in her car in order to survive. Rachel had endless support from her community to fight the charge of deliberate homicide. Luckily, she was able to escape an unjust punishment. This, unfortunately, is not always the case for survivors. We discuss the unique privileges in Rachel's case and changes that need to be made in the current system. Rachel's Source: https://www.elle.com/culture/a38324294/domestic-violence-survivor-rachel-bellesen/