YWCA Union County Statement on Nieroda Family Murder-Suicide

• by YWCA Union County
• February 21, 2023

The YWCA Union County was shocked by the murder-suicide of the Nieroda family in Linden this past weekend. While many details are still unknown, tragedies like this can always be avoided and underscore the fact that you never know what is going on behind closed doors. We join the community of Linden in mourning the loss of Justyna Nieroda and her children Sebastian and Natalie at the hands of her husband Kryzstof Nieroda.

Domestic violence does not always look the same in every relationship, is not always recognized as domestic violence by those in the relationship, and often is not apparent to those on the outside. Domestic violence can come in the form of emotional and verbal abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse, and sexual abuse. In every domestic violence relationship power and control is at the heart of the unhealthy dynamic. While we may never know what transpired in the Nierodas’ relationship, regular threats of suicide are a form of emotional abuse and manipulation. Make no mistake, murder-suicides are domestic violence murders.

One in three women and one in four men have experienced intimate partner physical violence in New Jersey and it is an epidemic across this country. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 72 percent of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner, while 94 percent of the victims of these are female. Additionally, the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.

The YWCA Union County is committed to helping all victims who reach out to us and to help them safety plan and find the resources they need. Our services include shelter, counseling, financial empowerment programs and court advocacy. All our services can be accessed through our 24-hour hotline at (908) 355-3457 (HELP). The hotline is able to assist speakers of all languages. For more information, visit the YWCA Union County website at www.ywcaunioncounty.org.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or contemplating suicide, please call or text 988 for immediate support.