Nikki Addimondo, Abuse and Torture Victim Imprisoned for Killing Her Abuser

Defining: Criminalized Survivor

Image: Nikki, Faye and Ben Addimando via We Stand With Nikki

Nikki Addimando’s story of Criminalized Survival came to me by way of top 50 podcasts in 2021 via Believe Her, hosted by Justine van der Leun. Van der Leun says in the first episode, “We love a true-crime story when the woman is dead. Only in death, can a woman secure her status as the perfect victim.” Nikki is currently serving prison time for killing her long-term partner and abuser, Chris Grover. She fought to save her life and the life of her children, therefore, she is a criminalized survivor and according to New York law, must be held accountable by serving years in prison.

Before Grover’s death, Nikki suffered extensive, graphic, sexual violence with evidence to support. During the pre-sentencing hearing for Nikki’s murder trial, the prosecution was able to convince the judge to exclude this evidence from the jury. I find this so egregious, considering Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises, reported Nikki’s “bruises were among the most extreme I have ever come across in a decade of reporting on Domestic Violence (DV). Snyder confirmed that Nikki had years’ worth of evidence to support claims of sexual violence and torture, but was…