HOW I GOT RAPED BY A MAN I DID NOT KNOW- MAUREEN ALIKOR

VICTIMS; NOW SURVIVORS

(EPISODE 2)

Hi there!
You are welcome to another episode on rape survivors story.

I am Juliet Ike, your favourite Teawoman. In case this is your first time here, do take out time to read previous posts and sure do leave a comment.

After sharing Opeoluwa's story, some believed hers was caused as a result of her parent's negligence and advised that parents should pay more attention to their children and if possible teach "sex education" at tender age.

What do you think will be your opinion on our next guest?
Would you also relate this to negligence or do you have another term for it?
Find out!

MAUREEN'S STORY

My name is Maureen Alikor, a survivor of sexual abuse and rape. The former happened before I was fourteen when an uncle abused me sexually and the latter on the 16th of November, 2016 by armed robbers.

THE TURNING POINT FOR ME

With a gun pointed to my head, the robber who raped me threatened to find me and see that he made sure I didnt graduate from the university if I ever told anyone I was raped. (apparently, he thought I was still a student. He was four years late).

I didnt respond.

When they left (they were 3), I and my friend and roommate alerted our neighbors who were oblivious of what had just happened. And soon after, some policemen were called in and then many more neighbors arrived.

It was around 2am.

Amidst sobs, the turning point for me came when I sat on the stairs leading up to my landlords flat, and asked myself WHAT NEXT?

Would I obey the rapist and remain mute? or speak up and risk death or whatever would come with it.

A LITTLE BACK STORY.

Meanwhile, a day before the incident, I made a call for graphics designers on Facebook and I got a lot of suggestions. But I settled with Erhime Olotewo, a close friend.

I chatted him up and then called him, explaining what I needed the graphics design for. I told him I had been a victim of sexual abuse while growing up and though I had healed and moved on but I knew a lot of people who were still affected by their experience. I told him I would love to birth an initiative that fights sexual abuse and that I wouldnt mind sharing my own story too.

I had made this decision in July of the same year while on a sickbed and wondering how the life experiences I had experienced would become helpful to humanity.

A FEW HOURS LATER, I WAS RAPED.

My friend and Graphics designer, Erhime agreed to send me a logo before the day was over and a few minutes to 2am, he sent in one beautiful logo via WhatsApp. And although I had reservations about the logo, I told him I would get back to him the next day, because I was in serious OVULATION PAINS and had put a call to my boyfriend.

While on the phone with the boyfriend who was trying to help me through the pain, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, and screamed JESUS, when I discovered it was my door.

I was lying down, earpiece plugged in, my Huawei tablet fell off my shaky hands as I saw two male frames standing above me, a gun pointed at me and then to my roommate.

It was dark. There had been a power outage in our neighborhood, so I couldnt see their faces; all I saw was that one of them had bowlegs on a very tender frame.

They collected our phones (four in total), cash, chargers, power banks, my gold necklace, and pendant.

STRIP!!! THE WORDS I NEVER WANT TO HEAR AGAIN

When they asked us to strip, I became livid and transfixed to the spot where I stood when he commanded I give him the cash in my wallet lying on the couch. When I gained my voice, my friend and I began begging. He pushed me to the ground and made to remove my short with his left hand, pointing the gun at me.

Our pleas fell on deaf ears, and we were both raped.

AFTER THE RAPE

The next morning, I head to a pharmacy near by and told him about what had happened, they gave me some drugs and advised I go to a proper clinic for checkup, which I did.

After the Doctor's examination, he detected that I had contacted skin infection from the rapist, this even made me more traumatic as I bothered if I would get pregnant because I was still in ovulation while I was raped.

The next person who knew about the incidence was my boyfriend (though he overhead all at the background. The robber who took my phone had put it in his back pocket without knowing someone was listening at the background).

At that point, I knew the relationship will end because we had just started dating. But contrary to what I thought, he did not end it, rather he persisted and saw that I got healed completely.

While I kept pushing him away, because I would not want him to date me out of PITY, yet he encouraged me and told me that was the point he needed me most.
Today, we are engaged and preparing to get married.

Everyone thought I was not going to hold the campaign as earlier planned, but I stood on the shoulders of Christ and hosted it in my neighborhood, the exact location where I was rape. It was not easy, but God's grace stood for me.

Today, I can shamelessly share my story anywhere in the world because I found healing and wholeness.

I decided against being silent. I knew the power of silence and how it could cripple me for years.

I knew this was the devil trying in his ways to make sure I did not go through with the initiative. I knew being silent would be me giving an absent human being (rapist) power over life and my decisions after forcefully having his way with me.

Sex is a beautiful gift to humanity from God, but RAPE IS THE PERVERSION OF SEX.

I am aware this perversion is one of the devils antics in trying to turn my heart and that of other victims away from the love and goodness of God.

It is also an agenda to limit the growth and development of victims because some side effects of rape in the life of a victim are:

SHAME, SELF-BLAME, DEPRESSION, FEAR, SUICIDE, DISSOCIATION, SHOCK, TRAUMA, DISORIENTATION etc.

And all of these are capable of stopping anyone from birthing the greatness they were destined for. We know these effects are powerful enough to keep a victim bound and I know, it does not have to be that way.

I am a witness and a testimony to the possibilities that abound on the other side of victory, healing, and forgiveness and thats why Demystify Abuse Campaign was born.

RAPE IS SPIRITUAL

From my standpoint as an individual and as Christian (a representative of Christ), I can boldly say RAPE IS MORE SPIRITUAL THAN WE THINK, but the deception is in getting mankind to believe it is simply physical.

Today, I have "Demystify Abuse Initiative" and I have been preaching against the act alongside my team.

In Demystify Abuse Campaign, while we fight, tackle and strive to put an end to rape, we know it is not just a physical fight, we also fight spiritually too. We pray.

Are you still wondering whether or not to heal and move on? I know it's scary and always not easy, but you just have to try.

If you need counsellors or initiative to talk to, contact Maureen Alikor on Facebook or contact @justicebeyondhastags on Instagram (these are group of lawyers pioneering an initiative to fight rape and help its victims as well).

You can as well reach me on any of the following media platforms;

Facebook: @Juliet Ike

Instagram: @realjulietike

Twitter: @_julietike

LinkedIn: @Ike Juliet


YouTube: @Juliet Ike

Together we shall win💪💪

You're loved❤