Ritter described how he learned to hide his anger towards her from police. 

"He got used to punching me in the back of the head, or choking me out, or punching me in the ribs," she said.

SPECIAL SECTION: Domestic Silence

In Miami County where Ritter lives, the number of civil protection orders filed since 2000 has tripled. 

A judge or magistrate can order the batterer to stay 500 feet to three blocks away from the victim. CPOs can also grant a victim temporary custody of children and stipulate immediate support payments. Offenders can be arrested immediately if they violate the terms.

But Ritter's three previous CPOs did not give her peace of mind. 

Daphane Carnes, Domestic Violence Advocate for The Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, helped Ritter develop a safety plan that would help her break free. 

"I call it a safety drill plan, like a fire drill plan you would have for your children," Carnes explained."I tell them to practice and use it often if need be."

Ritter will never forget the final attack that made her leave her abuser for good. She thinks one of the special 911-only cell phones Daphane had given her to place around her house and in her car saved her life that night. Lisa hit one button and threw it under the bed when she knew she was in trouble. 

"You think you can fight back and you think you can get out of your house but he'd push me aside and barricade the door," Lisa said.  "And no matter how much I tried to push him out of the way, I couldn't."

According to Anne Murray, the Director of the Domestic Violence & Stalking Unit in Columbus, more people are finding out civil protection orders exist because of good public education. But she wants victims, and anyone who wants to help them, to be mindful of any situation that could turn lethal. 

"We can't ask them to leave before a safe plan is in place, " Murray said.  "We need to know it's not that easy to just get up and go."

You can contact the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County at 1-800-351-7347.

©2009 by ONN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.