A RAPE SURVIVOR who went public about her ordeal has been hailed for her bravery.
Hazel (31) spoke to Ryan Tubridy on his 2FM show today, where she outlined her experience.
She told him how she was 21 and working for a travel company abroad when she was attacked.
Tubridy described Hazel as an “incredible woman” for sharing her story. She told him that she was speaking out as she is not afraid to share her experience.
The attack
Hazel described how on the night of 15 June 2004, she went out with friends and to see her boyfriend play in a bar. She left early to go back to her apartment, which was in the hotel where she worked.
When she arrived back to her room, she lay on the bed fully dressed and fell asleep. “I don’t know how long I was asleep for but I was awoke by someone calling my name,” she said.
She saw a man dressed in all black in front of her, wearing a mask and holding a machete. “He was calling me by my name,” she said, saying he spoke English with a German accent.
She then detailed how she was attacked during an assault by the man, who she said videotaped the whole thing. She said she thought she was going to be killed during the incident. Hazel said he eventually left and she managed to escape her apartment.
“Remember that it does happen, it’s not some thing you see in movies,” she said about rape survivors. “They’re real people, I’m a real woman, it happened to me.”
She advised people to “be aware of where you are”, and that if you feel unsafe, to “go with your gut”. “Teach your daughters to go with your gut,” she said.
Since the interview aired, Hazel has been praised for sharing her terrible ordeal:
Hazel’s interview can be listened to at the RTE 2FM website.
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