Former Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic has shared harrowing images of herself to shine a light-weight on the horrific abuse she suffered by the hands of her father throughout her profession.
On Thursday, the 39-year-old former world No. 4 shared along with her 130,000 Instagram followers a pair of photos from when she was 17 years previous with swollen shins coated in bruises after brutal beatings by her father Damir.
“Swollen, bruised and bleeding shins from being beaten and kicked all night with sharp shoes right into my shins for losing a match,” the publish stated.
“These images were taken more than two weeks later and I was still heavily bruised. I was 17 years old.
“To this day I still have sensitive and bumpy shins from this beating.”
Jelena spoke at a home and household violence occasion, highlighting the numerous ladies that endure by means of abuse.
“I was speaking at a domestic and family violence event today and I was sad,” she stated.
“Sad and angry for the tens of millions of women out there in the world who I know right in this moment are going through a lot worse than I ever did.
“One woman a week is killed from domestic violence in Australia alone.
“One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. The figures are even worse around the world.
“The more that we don’t talk about it, the more we shy away from the issue, the more we are abandoning women and girls.”
Dokic, who was a outstanding commentator in the course of the tennis season, stated talking up about home violence was not consideration in search of, as an alternative giving a voice to those that are silenced.
“Coming from someone that has been there, abandoned and scared to death please don’t turn your back. Women and girls need you and your help,” she stated.
“We live in a society that shames and stigmatises talking about abuse and domestic violence but then we mourn the killings due to violence.
“Let’s do more for the future generations. For our daughters, sisters and all the girls and women around the world to make this a better and safer place for them to be happy, healthy and free of violence.
“I will never stop fighting and speaking up about this issue, especially for those that can’t and don’t have a voice.”
Dokic has been open in regards to the household violence she suffered by the hands of her father throughout her tennis profession in her ebook Unbreakable.
In the ebook, she wrote how he would repeatedly beat her with a belt or a hard-capped boot, together with one time that knocked her unconscious.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
