In a poignant recounting, Martina reflects on the traumatic experience of being raped at the hands of her 20-year-old boyfriend when she was just 15 years old. She vividly remembers the details of the room where the assault took place, articulating the fear and desperation she felt during the event, where her screams for help went unheard. The aftermath was devastating, as her boyfriend callously remarked that it didn’t hurt, further deepening her sense of violation. This tragic event marked the beginning of a long journey of coping with her trauma.

Years later, Martina speaks out about the toll that the experience and subsequent societal indifference took on her mental health. For over two decades, she has struggled with the implications of her assault, connecting the dots between her childhood experiences and her later challenges, including bulimia and feelings of guilt and shame. She emphasizes how the lack of love from her parents and societal pressures compounded her suffering, outlining how her various experiences of violence and neglect seemed unrelated at the time but ultimately interlinked in her psyche.

With the help of mental health professionals, Martina is slowly learning to confront her trauma rather than suppress it. Her story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of speaking out against violence and the need for societal empathy towards survivors. By sharing her narrative, she hopes to shed light on the often-ignored pains of those who suffer in silence, urging a collective recognition and response to the issues of domestic and sexual violence in society.