Gina Bevill recently filed a lawsuit against her former boyfriend over claims he punch her in the eye and shattered bone.
Earlier this week, Gina Bevill of Oregon filed a lawsuit against her former boyfriend, Shawn McCloud, after he allegedly punched her in the eye, “shattering multiple bones in her face at her Bend home.” As a result, the suit accuses McCloud of domestic violence and argues he should have to fork over the money to pay for her medical bills and reconstructive facial surgery associated with her injuries from the abuse. According to the suit, which was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Bevill’s medical bills are yet to be determined, though she is also seeking $975,000 for pain and suffering.
Bevill is represented by Portland lawyer, Greg Kafoury. Kafoury said, “women have come to him over his nearly 45-year career seeking compensation for injuries they say they’ve suffered at the hands of their boyfriends or husbands but have backed out before he files lawsuits.” He added, “this is the first time a woman has gone through with a lawsuit.”
When discussing the case and cases like the one Bevill filed, Kafoury said the reasons for filing them are “complex and perhaps unfathomable to people outside the relationship.”
So far McCloud hasn’t officially been charged with a crime linked to the accusations in the suit. When commenting on the civil lawsuit, he said, “I am shocked and surprised that these allegations have been made against me. I did not assault or in any way strike or hurt Ms. Bevill.” He added:
“Certainly if the facts in this lawsuit were true I would’ve been charged with a crime, and I was not. I loved Gina and am deeply saddened by these claims, which are simply untrue.”
What happened, though? Well, according to the lawsuit, McCloud contacted police back on April 28 after the alleged incident, even “though Bevill was the one who was seriously hurt.” Upon showing up and surveying the scene, police took no action against McCloud.
Rosemary Brewer, the executive director of the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center, chimed in on the lawsuit and said lawsuits like the one Bevill filed are rare “for the same reasons that people who contact police about domestic abuse later decide not to pursue the allegations.” She added:
“A ton of cases get dropped because the victims don’t want to go forward. Even if a victim calls the police because she is being victimized at that moment, she might back out later…Maybe she doesn’t want people to know. Maybe she’s being financially supported by her abuser.”
Brewer also noted that it can often be a traumatic experience for victims to recount their stories to detectives and prosecutors, and even to juries.
Sources:
In lawsuit seldom seen, Oregon woman says she was a battered girlfriend, sues her ex
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