At just 8 years old, Lina Colombéro was the victim of domestic violence. A trauma she talks about in her book "The One We Shouldn't Call Mum", a real outlet designed to help all the other silent victims.
Every day in France, two children die from the blows of their parents. Victims who manage to extricate themselves from this violence sometimes come out with visible aftereffects but also with psychological trauma.
This is the case of Lina Colombéro, when she is only 8 years old, the little girl and her 9-year-old brother are moved back to their biological mother, in Avignon, after the latter made the request to judge. For many years, the two children found themselves alone facing their executioner and suffered daily physical violence. Beyond the violence, this woman exerts psychological pressure on the toddlers. She chooses to separate the two children, the older brother finds himself placed in foster care, far from his sister. At the age of 15, Lina finds a way out, she requests her emancipation from the judge, who accepts her request. She finds herself finally released from her mother’s hold.
"I knew that this" Mom "was neither kind nor benevolent"
Aftermath from which Lina has recovered today, but her brother remains "Still in the grip" from his mother. The 35-year-old woman chose to indulge her injuries in a book called "The one we should call mom". She tells : "I knew that this" Mom "was not kind or caring. But for my brother, I pretended that none of this was ingrained in me. " In this intimate testimony, the author addresses parents, witnesses and other victims of abuse.
The young woman fought a long fight to free herself from her mother's grip. "I posed a lot of psychological barriers", she says. The author is no longer related to the rest of her family "Who knew about everything going on at home" and who has never denounced the abusive behavior of the mother. The author also no longer has contact with her older brother, with whom she has gone through all her ordeals. “Psychologically we are very far apart. She anchored him in a trauma that makes it more difficult to get along, or to recognize yourself as a brother and sister today. "Says Lina.
A message of hope
Today, the author has gradually rebuilt herself. Passionate about writing, she tries her hand at fantasy in a multi-volume book.
"It is a part of my life that no longer represents suffering. This is a page turned and a chapter that is closed, "says the author with great emotion. Through her testimony, she chose to address all these silent victims so that they find the courage to tell, in turn, what they are going through. "It is an outstretched hand for those who suffer in silence because their freedom ends in their silence. I’ve seen a lot of kids who don’t dare talk about what they’re going through, ”says Lina.
For her, there are two possibilities: "Either we come out stronger, or we stay locked up". It is above all a message of support and hope that it expresses to all these vulnerable children because "Psychologically everyone can get by. "
Thank you to Lina Colombéro for this testimony.
The book is available since December 4, 2019 on the Fnac website and on Amazon, as well as in all bookstores in France.