Domestic Violence, Blackmail, Intimate Photos: Despite a Protection Order, She Faces Threats Every Day

Title: Domestic Violence, Blackmail, Intimate Photos: Despite a Protection Order, She Faces Threats Every Day

Sabrina (a pseudonym), 33 years old and mother of two, lives in a suburb of the capital. Despite being officially protected by the justice system through complaints and a protection order, she faces daily threats. Her life is marked by fear, injuries, and imposed silence. Her heartbreaking testimony reveals the flaws in a system that, despite appearances, does not always provide true protection.

Today, she can no longer endure the situation. She is calling for help. Her message is directed at the Ministry of Gender Equality: she wants to live. She wants to rebuild her life and provide a peaceful future for her children. "How many of us must end up dead like Mrs. Nawsheen Chady before someone reacts?" she asks, shaken by the murder of this 37-year-old mother killed by her husband, Safwaan Chady, in Saint-Pierre on July 10.

Hope for a Fresh Start

Like many other women, Sabrina initially believed in a fresh start. After being beaten in her first marriage, she found the courage to leave her husband in 2015 after four years together. Her son was just an eleven-month-old baby. With no other option, she moved in with her parents, hoping to turn the page.

However, in 2020, while the world was in lockdown and connections were formed and broken through screens, she met a man online. A 38-year-old from Pailles, he seemed caring, sweet, and understanding. Quickly, Sabrina saw him as a second chance, a twist of fate. "He promised me marriage. He said he loved me and valued me. I was vulnerable. I needed to believe it," she confides, her voice trembling.

Yet, behind the promises, reality returned like an unrelenting boomerang. The man began asking her for money, claiming debts to his uncle and expenses for his parents' medical care. Out of love, Sabrina agreed to help, lending him up to Rs 50,000. The situation escalated from there.

During their relationship, he allegedly extorted nearly Rs 500,000 from her. "He even made me take out a loan at CIM, but he never repaid it. I'm still paying that debt today," she laments.

In May 2020, Sabrina changed jobs and became a receptionist at a company in Port-Louis. Her partner's behavior changed abruptly; he became jealous and possessive, turning violent. "Every day when I came home from work, he accused me of having an affair. He slapped me, then apologized. I forgave him. But that was just the beginning of a downward spiral."

Daily Terror

The assaults multiplied. One day in May 2021, he tried to stab her with a knife in his car. "He threatened me, saying if I left him or went to the police, he would kill me and disfigure me. I started living in the shadows. I was scared. I hid my injuries with false excuses."

Despite everything, she stayed. Out of fear. Out of resignation. Out of naivety: the belief that he would change. In August 2021, she moved in with him, hoping to avoid raising her parents' suspicions about being an abused woman.

Sabrina claims he filmed their intimate moments without her knowledge. When she asked him to delete the footage, he made her feel guilty: "When I told him to delete it, he said, 'You don't trust me, you doubt me.' I was so scared of him I couldn't do anything."

Some time later, he showed her the videos, always without showing himself. Then he threatened her: "If you go to the police or leave me, I will post your video on social media." The files were kept on multiple USB drives, hidden away. In addition to this, there were insults, physical assaults, and even a cigarette stubbed out on her skin.

A Pregnancy Amidst Abuse

Sabrina became pregnant. A new chapter of violence began: her partner accused her of infidelity, claiming the child was not his. He took her to a gynecologist to inquire about a future DNA test: "They say that after the baby is born, a DNA test can be done."

Exhausted and at her breaking point, unable to bear the abuse any longer, she returned to her parents' house when she was six and a half months pregnant. In February 2024, she gave birth. But hell continued. He returned, loitering and threatening her by phone. In June 2024, he came under the pretense of wanting to see the baby. He did not hesitate to hit Sabrina in front of her mother.

When her mother intervened, he attacked her as well. Sabrina went to the hospital for treatment and then filed a complaint for domestic violence at the Plaine-Verte police station. However, her partner was not arrested.

On February 16, 2025, a new tragic episode occurred. Claiming he wanted to celebrate the baby's birthday, he suggested an outing with the child. Sabrina agreed, on the condition that he would return the baby later. But it was a trap.

In the evening, when he brought the baby back, he asked Sabrina to come down to retrieve him. There, he forced her into his car, handed her the child, and then violently beat her. "I was holding my baby in my arms, and he started hitting me hard in the car. Then he told me to get out and leave."

Psychological Suffering

Injured, she was taken to the hospital. The next day, she filed a complaint. He was arrested under a provisional charge of domestic violence but was immediately released on bail. It wasn't until February 2025 that a first Protection Order was issued – for three months. But the threats continued. He harassed her, followed her, stalked her, sending vulgar messages and threatening to release photos.

On July 7, 2025, she filed another complaint against him for violating the protection order. He was arrested by the police the same day and released on bail. Between March 23 and May 16, 2025, he sent her obscene and threatening messages. Words that deeply affected Sabrina. She is now receiving psychological support, funded by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare.

On July 9, she finally obtained a two-year Protection Order. On the same day, an intimate video was published on social media. An act of revenge. An additional humiliation. He accused her of being the author of it, as if to reverse the roles.

"I want to live. I want my children to grow up without fear. I've done everything: cried, fled, filed complaints. He is still free." Sabrina no longer wants just an arrest. She wants a life. She wants peace. She wants the authorities to take concrete action.

Her testimony is not just a simple news story. It is a wake-up call. She has documented everything: photos, videos, medical certificates, official complaints. She has done her part. The ball is now in the court of those who can save lives. Acting now is essential to prevent irreparable harm.