I was forced to marry at the age of 19, to a man who was a distant relation of my father’s and who never showed me any affection. A medical examination by a doctor at the Helen Bamber Foundation found more than 50 scars on my body consistent with deliberate abuse, including burning with irons. But when I asked my family and friends for help they just told me to accept it. That is all they know. They believe that even if your husband is violent you have to bear it. And if you leave him – then it’s your fault. You don’t have any life.
