Jenan Moussa/TwitterA video about domestic violence has gone viral on social media thanks to its powerful and heartbreaking message.
The video shows the face of a young woman as she goes through the various stages of an abusive relationship.
Firstly, she is given flowers, more flowers and an engagement ring, where she’s obviously happy and smiling at the camera. However, her face gradually changes, as the relationship seems to break down. The woman can then be seen covering up bruises with makeup, becoming increasingly unhappy and crying.
You can watch it here:
What a powerful clip to raise awareness about domestic abuse. 💔pic.twitter.com/O3gECLqMwn
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) August 24, 2019
The video has since been shared over 11,000 times on Twitter, attracting hundreds of comments in the process.
One person replied: ‘[I] don’t understand men who feel so impotent they have to beat up women to feel manly.’
While another called it ‘very powerful’, saying:
it’s really disappointing that person suffering from it couldn’t raise his/her voice easily bcz of fear of family and society!! # plz raise your voice either u r a Victim or a witness!!
#domesticabuse is a CRIME & reality is much more worse than shown in clip ! [sic]
Very powerful !! & it's really disappointing that person suffering from it couldn't raise his/her voice easily bcz of fear of family and society!! # plz raise your voice either u r a Victim or a witness!!#domesticabuse is a CRIME & reality is much more worse than shown in clip !
— sanju joshi (@sanjujo50549742) August 25, 2019
So powerful. Grateful to the beautiful lady in the clip and everyone involved.
— Faryal Shafi (@FaryalShafi) August 24, 2019
Another said:
The multiple faces of an abused woman, what you see is not what you see, look beneath the skin to see what is happening, domestic abuse is and always has been hidden in plain sight.
The multiple faces of an abused woman, what you see is not what you see, look beneath the skin to see what is happening, domestic abuse is and always has been hidden in plain sight..
— AndyC (@AndrewAndyc0463) August 24, 2019
It’s so deep and touching…and sadly it still exists in this so called modern society of ours 💔 😔
— NAVEEN (@officialnav1904) August 25, 2019
In June this year, a domestic abuse survivor handed in her estranged husband’s guns to police after he was taken into custody for reportedly attempting to run her over.
Courtney Irby, from Florida, removed Joseph Irby’s guns from his residence the day after he had attempted to run her over, telling police she was handing them in for safekeeping.
Why would any decent person with a choice spend their hard earned money in a town where the cops value a violent man's gun stash over a woman's safety? Tell @LakelandPD to drop the charges against #CourtneyIrby.
— Randy🌹: 🇧🇷 must 🛑 the 🔥🔥🔥 in the Amazon (@RandyMathHippie) June 21, 2019
However, when Lakeland police found out she had taken them without Joseph’s permission, they arrested Courtney for armed burglary of a dwelling and the grand theft of a firearm.
State representative Anna Eskamani said Courtney was ‘actively protecting herself’ and ‘we should be outraged by her arrest’.
Both Courtney Irby and Joseph Irby were later bonded out of the Polk County Jail.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence contact the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247. Do not suffer in silence.
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.