Gabby Petito‘s family may not have released individual statements on the closing of the case, but their latest posts on social media speak volumes about what they’re choosing to focus on.

In case you hadn’t heard, last week the FBI announced they considered the case over to their satisfaction. In an accompanying press release, they revealed they had been able to salvage pages from the notebook which had been found near Brian Laundrie‘s remains. And yes, he had written in a note confessing he was responsible for his fiancée’s death.

In their statement as a family, through their lawyer, Gabby’s parents thanked the FBI for their work on the case and for bringing them some closure. But that closure seems not to have come without a cost.

It took a while for all of them to post again on social media, something they’ve become regulars on since being thrust into the spotlight. We’d have to assume they were emotionally affected by the news. After all, while it’s a good thing the case is closed, there’s also the realization that justice will never be served. Their daughter’s killer was never brought in, never had to answer for his crime. And perhaps even worse, it was someone she loved and trusted — and even lived with for years.

The whole situation is a parent’s worst nightmare of their child dating. We mean, this was her high school boyfriend, her first love. And he didn’t just betray her — he strangled her with his bare hands. He took her away from them forever.

So it makes sense that her father’s first post since the confirmation is about domestic abuse. Joseph Petito, who has become a strong advocate for victims of domestic violence and missing persons, shared a quote on Monday that read:

“You never owe your abusers anonymity. If the truth of their actions destroys their career, reputation, or relationships, that was their doing entirely.”

He captioned the post:

“The shame of abuse needs to be put where it belongs, and that is squarely on the shoulders of the abuser. That is who should hold the shame, not their victim. We have to support and make changes on how we educate our youth to know this. #domesticviolence #togetherwecan”

A really important statement. And one that reminds us this is a crime that — while the case is closed — will continue to hurt those close to it for the rest of their lives.

For anonymous, confidential help, 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).

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