A YOUNG pregnant woman says she was forced to jump from her fourth-floor apartment in a bid to escape her boyfriend whom she claims was beating her with a stick.
Mikaelen Sasha Rocha das Merces, 22, jumped from a height of over 33 feet following a row with her partner inside her flat in Brazil when he allegedly became enraged after she did not ask how his day was.
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Merces met Jonatan Willian Correa on Facebook in June this year but their relationship reportedly quickly turned sour.
Correa is said to have regularly attacked Merces in fits of jealousy and constantly threatened her so that she would not tell her family about the abuse, according to reports.
The first instance of abuse occurred when Correa allegedly beat Merces over a message she received that he did not like.
Not long after, he reportedly broke her nose.
In the most recent attack, Merces said she had told Correa that she was going to her parents’ house to pick up her two-year-old son from a previous relationship.
The young woman then claimed she was beaten because she did not ask how his day was.
Reports said Correa repeatedly slapped her in the face and slammed her face on the cooker, burning part of her forehead.
He then hauled her to the bedroom where he reportedly punched her in the face and slammed her head on the floor and against various objects in the room.
He then fetched a wooden truncheon he kept in the apartment and used the weapon to strike her in the face, back and legs, according to local media.
He then locked Merces in the bedroom while he went to fetch an object from the kitchen.
After being attacked for more than an hour and afraid for her life, the young mother jumped from the bedroom window.
Merces was taken to hospital in the Brazilian municipality of Araraquara earlier this month with numerous fractures sustained in the fall.
She spent a week in an induced coma and has remained in hospital for the past month to undergo three operations.
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Unbeknown to Merces, Correa had an extensive police record for a multiple crimes including domestic violence.
Correa denies all allegations against him, while Merces’ lawyer hopes he will be tried for attempted femicide.
Merces is recovering in hospital and her unborn baby is reportedly in a stable condition.
The investigation continues.
If you’ve been a victim of domestic abuse, call The Survivor’s Trust on 0808 801 0818 or go to thesurvivorstrust.org
The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is on 0808 2000 247.
Where can you get help?
Woman’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service available. from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
How to get help in lockdown
- For support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247 or go to Nationaldahelpline.org.uk.
- Women’s Aid has a live chat service Mondays to Fridays, 10am and 2pm, as well as an online survivor’s forum. Find your local domestic abuse service at Womensaid.org.uk.
- If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are in danger and unable to talk, call 999 and listen to the questions from the operator and respond by coughing or tapping the head set. If you can’t make a sound, the call will be put through to an automated system, which asks the caller to press 55 to reach the police.
- If you are deaf or can’t verbally communicate, register with the emergency SMS service. Text REGISTER to 999. You will get a text telling you what to do next.
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