In our first full-length episode, our host Shari tells the story of abuse she endured and how it led her to the work she has been doing to help victims for many years. We hear about the early days of Shari’s marriage, her perception of her husband as a good person and then what changed as things took a turn for the worse after moving to Oklahoma. Shari talks about the horrendous behavior and acts of abuse her husband inflicted on her and her daughter, its cyclical nature, and what happened to finally set her on the path toward seeking help. The abuses were not over for Shari at that point though, and the story progresses to a point where we hear another tragic act of assault which left lasting scars on her and her daughter. 

Things begin to look up after that though, and Shari speaks about the amazing people who helped her and her daughter recover physically before having to endure the pain of the trials and prosecution of the offender. More bumps in the road come after that though and Shari talks about the unfairness of the US law system which lets some of the worst injustices slip through with little to no punishment. It was all leading somewhere though and we hear from Shari about how her anger translated itself into courage that helped her find and use her voice, and how this organically developed into social work she began doing in the form of helping other victims. We wrap things up hearing about how much Shari’s will to help other victims grew after its early stages, and it all revolves around the central theme of the power of courage. Tune in to walk with Shari as she shares her painful story that leads up to tremendous growth and a crisis center which has helped thousands of victims over the years.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The difference between Shari’s peaceful upbringing and violent marriage.
• Moving to Oklahoma and how Shari’s violent husband couldn’t find work.
• How poor Shari and her husband were when he took his anger out on her.
• Cyclical habits of escape and coming back home Shari experienced after violent events.
• What Shari’s husband really did with the paychecks she earned at her multiple jobs.
• The first time Shari’s husband struck their child and wanted to cut her wedding ring off.
• Differences in reception Shari experienced from attorney’s offices after seeking help.
• The warning Shari got from the judge after he wrote a protection order for her.
• How amazing it felt after Shari got the protection order and how cautious she was.
• Living in an old trailer and then an apartment after Shari became homeless.
• A huge betrayal Shari experienced by a friend on Thanksgiving.
• How the police found Shari’s daughter’s abuser in a divine intervention of fate.
• Initial moments of Shari’s daughter’s recovery at the trauma center.
• Going to a shelter for battered women after Shari’s daughter had recovered at the hospital.
• The briefings and interactions Shari had with police leading up to the court case.
• All the court hearings and how police had suspicions that the crime had more suspects.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Shari Kastein — https://www.sharikastein.com/

Shari Kastein on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shari-kastein-65754339/

Shari Kastein Email — [email protected]

South Dakota Victim’s Compensation Board — https://dps.sd.gov/victims-services/crime-victims-compensation

US Department of Justice — https://www.justice.gov/