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A survivor of gender based abuse is often asked why she didn't report it. Maybe she was asking for it? But how can she, when she is afraid of him?
A survivor of gender based abuse is often asked why she didn’t report it. Maybe she was asking for it? But how can she, when she is afraid of him?
*Trigger warning: There are graphic descriptions of violence against women, which might be triggering to survivors.
Why I didn’t report?
Because I was scared. I was scared he’d come out someday and burn me alive.
Because I was scared. I was scared he’d attack me for vengeance.
I was scared they would demean and accuse me, instead of empathizing.
I was scared he would attack me with acid.
I was scared that no matter how much courage I show, how many police complaints I make, how strongly I fight, he won’t take NO for an answer.
Because for him, NO means take revenge. NO means try again. NO means too shy to say yes. NO means anything except NO.
I saw what happened to the people who reported. So, don’t ever ask me why I didn’t report.
I will report, the day you are willing to understand my trauma. I will report, the day you realise that I wasn’t “asking for it”. I will report, the day you stand with me in the fight for justice.
I will report when it is safe to.
Till then, don’t ever ask why I didn’t report.
This is triggered off the recent incident in which a man attacked a woman with an axe, because she reported him to the police. Every day we hear of such horrifying cases of violence.
Image source: a still from the film Kabir Singh
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