"Batterers are always asking for forgiveness, but they maintain the same pattern of domination, control, abuse, and harassment, subjecting their partner to submission and fear"
"Violence is not only reflected with a blow also with a word"
"Abuse is not loved, abuse is the cowardice of someone who pretends to be superior because he has strong fists"
"Violence against women in all its forms is a violation of Human Rights" Michelle Bachelet.
STORY
Peru is a city of many opportunities, both in life and work opportunities, and it is pleasant to live in Peru, because Peruvians are friendly and excellent people, and they know how to treat foreigners, and it is for this reason that foreigners love the country.
The Serfati family is one of the many influential families throughout Peru, and they are the inspiration for the entire Peruvian family.
Each of them has excelled in different branches, in what refers to work, except for Lucia, who is still a student. As a family, they have several businesses together which are the restaurant, a gym, and a shopping center.
They have the custom of studying outside of Peru, because they have family in each country, and they use their studies as a pretext to visit their family.
Iván and Lucrecia's grandchildren are all adults and are already married with children. The only one who remains to marry is Lucía Serfati, the youngest of the grandchildren.
They did not want to pressure her with marriage, because the most important thing for them is that she finish her studies. When she finished her studies, Lucía decided that she wanted to study Analysis and Systems in New York, United States.
At first, her family did not agree with Lucía's decision, but they understood that it is her decision and the only thing they could do is support her at all times and in each of her decisions.
Lucia's entire family helped her with all the preparations for the trip, including lodging and renting a car that was easy for Lucia to drive.
In a matter of hours, everything was ready, all that remained was to book the plane ticket and pack things to go to New York.
When the time came for Lucia to have to travel, her whole family was there, to say goodbye to her and to wish her the best of luck.
They were with Lucia until she had to go in to board the plane to New York. The farewell was very emotional, but they let her go to New York because they hoped to see her again.
What they did not know is that life for Lucia was about to change in its entirety. As soon as Lucia arrived in New York, she went directly to the house of her uncles, who welcomed her with their arms and gave her the best of welcomes; especially her cousin Eduardo, who hadn't seen her for years.
Despite the distance, Eduardo and Lucía still maintained the close relationship of friendship and cousins and the strong connection that they felt they had when they were ten years old.
Of all the brothers and cousins, precisely the two got along perfectly and did their best to spend the most time together.
And that meeting would not be the exception, because they were going to take as much time as possible to go back to doing what they were before they had to move away, and they were inseparable and did everything together.
Eduardo and Lucía had a lot of fun like they hadn't done before, and they liked each other's company and that day they made love for the first time, and they didn't regret anything that happened that day.
After that fact, they became even more inseparable and felt that nothing and no one could separate them. Time passed and everything went perfectly; until they started college and both chose different careers: Lucia chose Systems Analysis and Eduardo chose Law.
Within two months, Lucía met Alejandro Salvatierra and Eduardo met Carmen Siciliani, two Argentines who would also study at the university.
At first, none of the four had reason to approach because they had to do several things of extreme urgency, before going to college.
With the passing of the weeks and with the daily life at the university and because they had mutual friends, they began to treat each other and began to have the best of impressions.
"You will reap your sowing," someone said that to Lucia and Eduardo, and they were frozen and not knowing how to react to it because that had never happened to them.
They decided to ignore what that person had said and continued on their way, but that phrase remained etched within their souls.
The days passed and everyone continued with their lives as if nothing had happened and little by little and the four of them began to get to know each other more thoroughly and to have more serious and deep conversations; until, they started treating each other like friends.
Everything was perfect between the four of us. There was also the fact that they started doing almost everything together and agreeing to study together.
But one good day, things changed and the relationship of the four of them had a drastic change. Carmen had invited them to her house to study, start doing projects, and carry out homework.
Everything was going well until they heard some strange sounds, coming from the main room. The four friends were speechless when they heard those sounds and after that, some heartbreaking screams, asking for help in a desperate way.
"Help! My husband is an animal! " said Ana Colmenares, Carmen Siciliani's mother.
"It's my mom. We must do something about it," said Carmen Siciliani.
The three friends, seeing the despair and anguish in Carmen, decided to go to the aid of their mother.
As soon as the four friends reached the main room, they could realize that Ezequiel had grabbed his wife's hair, and she was completely beaten and bruised all over.
The four friends, outraged at seeing this scene, decide to attack the man, to defend Carmen's mother. The fight that the four friends had with Ezequiel lasted approximately four hours.
Hours of which, they fought with all their might and with all five weak, they continued to fight. Carmen's mother, who couldn't fight because she was completely weak, couldn't do anything other than watch that fight and couldn't defend the four of them.
As they were fighting with all their might, none of them had noticed that the police had been called and immediately went to the house.
When the police arrived at the house, they were knocking on the door and ringing for half an hour and nobody paid any attention to what was happening outside.
One of the employees, who was near the main entrance, opened the door for them and immediately, the police entered and went to the place where the screaming and fighting was being heard.
When the police arrived at the place, which is the main room, they saw everyone completely purple and could hardly move and Ana, they saw that she was completely beaten and with a lot of bruises.
After the police managed to separate them, Ezequiel was taken to jail for domestic violence.
While he was in jail, waiting for what will happen to him, they took Ana, to examine her body, take photos and with that, denounce her husband and Lucia, Eduardo and Alejandro, they accompanied Carmen and her mother until that place.
"We must call our respective relatives and tell them what happened, so that they are aware of what is happening with us" said Eduardo, knowing that it will not make it easy to have that conversation with his family and the same happened to Lucia and Alejandro. who had part of their family in that same country.
The four friends, including Carmen and with fear, began to call their relatives, to tell them what happened before it goes on television.
The conversation that the four of them had with their respective relatives was not easy at all and each time they were told what had happened, they raised their voices; to the point that, you could listen to the entire conversation, without using the phone.
When they managed to calm down, the four friends, using their own cell phones and confronting their respective relatives, told them the reasons why they did all this.
"How dare you do that!" their respective families told them, raising their voices even more.
"We are very sorry, but we had to do it. It was either that or see how he mistreated his own wife" they replied at the same time.
After talking for half an hour more, they closed the phones and were sad because they knew that their relatives would punish them for getting into a fight that is not theirs.
In less than an hour, the relatives of Lucía, Eduardo, Alejandro, and Carmen appeared and the first thing they did was, hug the four of them and told them how much they love them and how proud they are of them.
"How is Ana? Where is he at the moment and what are they doing to him? " asked Franco who, along with the rest of his family, had recently arrived in the country.
"Daddy, they are examining her. At this moment, she is inside doing all kinds of tests, so that, with those tests, she can denounce her husband, the abuser ", said Lucía, annoyed at just remembering what had happened in the house.
"I'm going to go to where Ana is to see if she needs anything," Sara said, putting herself in Ana's place.
"I also go sister-in-law, to be with Ana and support each other among women, because by supporting each other, we will be stronger and more invincible than separated," said María del Carmen, Eduardo's mother, also putting herself in Ana's place.
"And I'm going too," said Paula, Alejandro's mother, also putting herself in Ana's place.
The three friends went to Ana, to give her all their unconditional support in everything and to be with her, in everything she needs.
When they entered the room where Ana, Sara, Paula and María del Carmen were, they were surprised to see how hurt and unrecognizable Ana was.
The three friends had a hard time recognizing Ana, because of how mistreated she was. They wanted to cry, but they knew they had to control and support her at all times.
Sara, Paula, María del Carmen and Ana have known each other since they were in kindergarten and they have always been together at all times and they never stopped talking; far from it, they lost contact with each other.
"Ana, we are here with you and we will not leave you alone at all," said María del Carmen, while hugging Ana.
"Ana, we are here with you and we will not leave you alone at all," said María del Carmen, while hugging Ana.
"Yes, Ana. What María del Carmen said is true. Never forget that we will be there for you at all times and you can count on us for everything and if it is to take care of Carmen, we will take care of her for you "said Paula.
"Yes, Ana, you count on us for everything, through thick and thin and remember that friends, we will always be together until the end of our lives," said Sara.
"Thank you friends. I really thank you for everything and I think that I will need you to help me take care of my daughter while I recover or see what is going to happen between Ezequiel and me and with whom my daughter is going to stay "said Ana.
The four friends left the conversation until further notice, because they were going to thoroughly examine Ana and all her injuries, both external and internal.
After four hours of examining Ana, they realized that the abuse committed by her husband, Ezequiel towards Ana, is worse than everyone imagined and it is something that no one wanted to put aside and they wanted justice to be done .
They had no choice but to take photos, to raise a strong lawsuit against the abuser and imprison him for life.
Ana's lawyer asked the three friends to wait outside, to finish examining her and start the paperwork for the lawsuit against Ezequiel and before they left, the lawyer told the three friends that their respective children, they also had to stay to take X-rays and photos, because they too fall into this lawsuit.
When Sara, Paula and María del Carmen left the room where Ana was, they were told exactly what had happened up to that moment with Ana and that their respective children had to stay to take X-rays and photos, to raise a strong demand in against Ezequiel.
"Why do our children have to be part of this lawsuit? Why don't you just leave them out of this? " Eduardo asked, exploding with anger.
"Do you see what happens for being in this fight? Now, they have to stay, who knows until what time, to be examined from head to toe and at the same time, take all kinds of photos, "said Facundo, just as annoying as Eduardo.
"What you did, the elders or the police should have done, but not you. We know that you wanted to help your friend and Ana, but this is not the way. We are super proud of you, but next time, call the police "said Franco, just as upset as Eduardo and Facundo.
"While all this was happening, Carmen should be in the care of any of us, because Ana cannot because of how weak she is and because of the lawsuit she has to face against her husband, the abuser," said Paula, calmer than it was previously.
"We can take her and make her have fun with us at any party that appears. Besides, I am a woman and there is nothing better for a woman than to be with another woman who understands her in her entirety and does not reproach her" said Lucia while hugged Carmen.
"Right now, I also prefer to be with Lucia, I want to be accompanied and protected. I never want to see him again" said Carmen.
"But you will be with Eduardo and not with me" said Alejandro, in a sad and melancholic tone.
"Do not worry, Alejandro, they will no longer live with Eduardo, because from this moment on, they will live with us, because we have decided to live here, to control you and to watch over you better Lucia and so that you no longer do crazy things" said Franco, in serious tone.
"Daddy, but I have not done crazy things, except to protect my friend's mother, defending her from that abuser and rapist who turned out to be her friend" Lucia answered, trying to calm her father down.
"Haven't you done crazy things? What are you telling me to get into the fight between husband and wife, in which you were severely injured and you see that tremendous purple that each of you have in your right eye?" Franco said, raising his voice higher.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble," Carmen said, trying to calm Franco's anger.
"Carmen, it is neither your fault nor is it any of your fault. I want you to understand something and that is that, in this fight, which is rather, mistreatment of the woman, the first thing one has to do is call the police, instead of intervening and letting them handle all the paperwork, "Franco ended up saying.
"I agree with Franco. You should not have intervened in this brutality and he ceased to be our friend, the moment he began to raise his hand to Ana and we hope he did not do it with you too, Carmen, because yes it's like that, nobody saves him from jail "said Facundo.
"I can't take it anymore and I'll tell you the following: a few days ago, that" Lord "had arrived late and had drinks at the house and I was in my room with Lucia, studying for a lesson we had the other week, when Mom appeared in my room and told us that, under no circumstances, we should leave the room and stay locked in it.
We accepted and stayed in my room in silence and without making any kind of noise and Mom had warned all the employees to stay in their respective rooms and not to go out for any reason, no matter what they heard and they all agreed.
I clearly remember that this guy came into the house, cursing the day he had and started calling each one of us to come out and take care of him and only my mother came out.
He did not like at all that no one else comes out to serve him and he was so angry that he started throwing everything on the floor, while he was cursing and insulting everything he could.
After half an hour of throwing everything he could because he had a tantrum, he calmed down and continued shouting for attention and no one came out and at that moment, Mom came down.
The guy saw that my mommy was nervously coming down the stairs and he got into a hysterical fit, grabbed my mommy and threw her down the stairs; immediately afterwards, he began to beat her so hard that it could be heard throughout the house.
That beating lasted exactly half an hour and that half hour was a true hell for each of the people who were at that time.
After that, he demanded that she serve him the food and my mom did, but it took her time to get up or try to do it and walk to the kitchen, take out the food and heat it for the abuser.
How he delayed and delayed because he was so weak from that beating that he couldn't take it anymore and he raped her on that cold floor and all that was heard up to where we were.
Then, like a depraved animal that he is, he came up in search of me and knocked down the door with a single blow and found us and tried to rape us, but he couldn't, because Lucia had with her and started stabbing him in the penis.
As he was hurt, he left and along with him, his frustrations of raping me and beating me and since he did not want to experience the same with others, he left the house.
The next day, Lucia and I did not go to university, because we were ashamed to confront Eduardo and Alejandro who, we preferred to stay at home and there was also the fact that my mom asked us not to go to university and we obeyed.
We stayed at home for a week, to take care of my mommy and to make sure that this animal does not enter the house and she did.
On Saturday, we had a party at the house of one of our friends and we knew that both Eduardo and Alejandro would be at the party and we were nervous, because we did not want them to find out this truth, for fear of their reaction.
We spent a pleasant night at our friend's house and there, the four of us fell in love: I with Alejandro and Lucia with her cousin, Eduardo.
When we got to my house, that guy was already there and we heard how my mom was screaming to save her from that degenerate and we saw the employees flee the house, with a suitcase and everything they had.
When we asked him what had happened, they told us that the "Lord" had come to the house made a panther and the first thing he did was fire them and while they were packing their things, he took advantage and began to beat and rape my mommy.
Regardless of my mom's attempts to run away from that animal, she couldn't, because that animal always caught up with her and the beating for my mom was worse.
They told us that they have been like this for an hour and that the neighbors had no choice but to call the police and at that moment, they appeared and we entered the house together.
When we entered the house, there was nothing in order and everything was shattered and there was blood everywhere.
Both Alejandro and Eduardo told us to get out of there with them, but we couldn't leave her alone with that animal and we went in search of my mommy and when we found her, the pig was beating her savagely and we went on top of him and started to hit him with everything we had near.
In the middle of that fight, Lucía found a machete and started macheting him, which made him scream and jump on top of my mommy.
So strong and savage was that fight that the police, Eduardo and Alejandro, immediately appeared and managed to separate us.
The police, seeing that horrible scenario, put that guy in jail and gave my mom a bulletin that means that guy can't get close to my mom and if he does, he goes to jail for life and from that moment, Eduardo and Alejandro never left us alone, not even to go to the bathroom"
"How did you four not tell us any of this? What do you want us to wait for? What happens to you worst so that you tell us the whole truth?" Eduardo said, screaming and exploding with anger.
"Please understand our situation. It's about my mommy and she didn't want anything bad to happen to her and if it is to defend her from that type, we are going to defend her" said Carmen.
"The claims are no longer valid, but you will be under absolute surveillance by each one of us, including your respective brothers and as for this confession, we have enough evidence for him to be in jail for life and without bail" said Franco .
After that confession and that conversation, they called the lawyer and told them what had happened. After listening carefully to this confession, the lawyer said exactly the same as Franco that, with this confession and with the physical evidence, Ezequiel will never get out of jail and that he will forget to post bail.
They issued the arrest warrant against Ezequiel, while they finished the tests that they were doing to Ana and immediately began with the four and in that movement, the rest of the family of the four appeared who, upon learning the truth, helped to the lawyer to gather enough evidence to put him in jail.
That night, Carmen stayed with her siblings who were older than her and they stayed together and made no decisions until after the trial.
At the trial, the lawyer showed all the evidence that she had gathered against Ezequiel and it was enough to give him double life imprisonment and how Ana was not in the capacity to protect her only daughter, they gave custody to her older brothers, who decided live in the United States.
After two years and free of Ezequiel's mistreatment, they managed to celebrate the double wedding of Lucia and Eduardo, Carmen and Alejandro and that wedding was super emotional, because all their loved ones and all the people who worked for the Siciliani family were there.
As for Ezequiel, he died in jail by hanging.