A mother of four from Montreal’s North Shore was reportedly the victim of extreme domestic violence earlier this month and may have been acid sprayed by her husband.
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“It’s a miracle I’m still here at all,” says Géraldine* in her large apartment in Terrebonne.
The woman, whose name we cannot reveal due to a publication ban, returned from work on July 2, unaware of the ordeal that awaited her.
After welcoming her children, aged 8 to 14, Géraldine went to her husband who wanted to have a chat in the basement.
“I’ve been with this person for 15 years, I couldn’t wait for anything to happen…” she recalled in an interview with Le Journal.
As soon as she descended the stairs, she was reportedly beaten before falling down the stairs.
“[Mon conjoint] started swearing at me. But what complaints? “I’m at a loss for words, it’s a bit confusing,” describes the woman who works in the delivery area somehow.
Geraldine would then have seen her spouse pull out a bottle containing a corrosive liquid to pour on her body.
“The acid doesn’t matter at this point. After that I had this kind of heat that rose up inside me and stung everywhere,” says the woman from Belgium who came to Canada ten years ago.
In front of the children
The two adults would then have gone upstairs to where their children were, who would then have understood the magnitude of what had just happened.
“That’s when her father said to me, ‘I know what I just did there, the police will pick me up.’ “You will go with the paramedics,” explains the mother of the family.
The 46-year-old man, whose name could not be given so that the victim could not be identified, has since been charged with assault with a weapon and aggravated assault outside the Laval courthouse. He is still in custody.
He has no criminal record. However, according to the victim, there have been episodes of domestic violence in the past. She adds that she has been in discussions with the defendant about the divorce for the past few months.
hospitalization
Géraldine was hospitalized for almost three weeks at CHUM’s severe burns unit, where she was placed in an induced coma for several days.
“I had a transplant. They took the skin from my lower body to work on my neck and face. “It will be a while before it’s back to how it was before,” she explains, showing the bandages she’s still wearing around her neck.
Geraldine will keep marks of the attack on her face for several more months. Camille Payant / Journal de Montreal
“I was intubated for swallowing a small amount of acid. My voice will come back, but it will take at least a month,” she whispers.
Since returning to Terrebonne, she has taken many steps to find new housing and formalize her divorce.
“I know that it will be mainly mental work. Physically I will recover. I really have to be strong enough not to lose sight of the children,” hopes Géraldine.
*fictitious first name
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