The Ordeal of Sarah, Raped at 11 by Her Brother

Sarah (name changed), 40 years old, lives in L’Escalier. She recounts being raped, tortured, and humiliated by her brother under their family roof from the ages of 11 to 18. According to her, the adults around her turned a blind eye.

Today, after years of silence, she shares her stolen childhood, a system that let her down, and a battle she wants to fight not only for herself but also for other women who have experienced incest and have never been heard.

Widowed for four years, she is raising her three children aged 19, 16, and 8 on her own. Her story is one of a fierce struggle against the demons of the past, a poignant tale of suffering and courage.

Born into a family of three children, Sarah is the youngest. Her father, a former prison superintendent, passed away last year at the age of 70. Her parents separated when she was 4, and she lived with her sister and brother under their father's guardianship.

After two months of separation, her father started a new life with a new partner. The stepmother, now deceased, quickly became a source of suffering for her.

Sarah did not yet understand the full consequences of this separation. She remembers moments of carefree childhood mischief, but also the severe punishments inflicted by her stepmother.

Childhood

The couple decided to move to Phoenix into another family home with the three children. Sarah was 6 years old. The memories of her childhood are tinged with pain. "I was often punished for things I didn't do. My father was absent, and my stepmother gave me no respite. The punishments were cruel, sometimes even humiliating," she recounts. At that time, she did not know that her ordeal was just beginning.

According to Sarah, at the age of 11, her brother, then 16 years old, began to touch her inappropriately. "I told my dad. I told him everything. But he said: he talks to him, don’t take it personally."

At 12, she bravely decided to go to a center in Floréal to report the abuse. "I was desperate. I wanted it to stop. But even there, I did not find the protection I hoped for. My father was informed, and instead of supporting me, he minimized my suffering," she explains. She was then placed in a home, but the situation did not improve. Her father quickly took her back, and the abuse resumed with even more intensity.

"When my brother turned 18, he left home, my father was working, and I was left with my brother every day. My father left my brother and me alone in the house. He went to stay in L’Escalier with my stepmother. He just came every day to check on us and told my brother to watch me."

The abuse continued, and Sarah found herself in a cycle of suffering and silence. She explains that her brother sexually abused her for years, three to four times a month. She tried to confide in neighbors, but the adults preferred not to interfere in family matters.

Correctional Center

At 15, she managed to escape. Her father reported her disappearance to the Phoenix police. The police found her.

"When I was found, I told the police about my ordeal and filed a rape complaint against my brother in front of my father. But instead of believing me and helping me, I was sent to the girls' correctional center, RYC, for two months. It was another form of suffering," she recounts.

At that moment, she realized that justice did not seem to be on her side. "My father, who was a high-ranking prison officer, came to see me and told me to stop talking about these matters because of his reputation and the family. He agreed to take me home if I didn’t say anything."

New Life

At 18, after years of suffering, Sarah finally left the family home. She found refuge at her mother's house in Montagne-Blanche, where she began to tell her story. "It was a relief to speak, to share my pain. I finally began to heal," she says. Her sister, aware of the situation, and even some teachers offered their support.

At 19, Sarah began corresponding with a 45-year-old German man, married and in the military, with whom she had three children. "It was a way to escape reality. I needed someone who understood me," she explains. This man became a pillar in her life. He encouraged her to continue her studies and seek therapy. Unfortunately, her husband passed away four years ago.

She decided to move to Mauritius with her children. After her father's death, Sarah was in Mauritius for the funeral and immediately afterward went to the Phoenix police station in April 2024 to file a rape complaint against her brother, who had gone abroad.

Justice

Today, Sarah is a strong and courageous woman. She has managed to overcome her traumas and build a better life for herself and her children. "Justice was not on my side at the time. The police should have listened to me, helped me. I learned to fight for myself and my children," she declares with determination.

She has transformed her pain into strength, and although the scars of the past remain, she is determined to offer her children a better future. "They know what I went through, and I want them to know that they can always speak up, that they must never keep silent," she concludes.

Sarah is calling on the police commissioner, the Ministry of Women, and Minister Arianne Navarre-Marie for justice.