Maryia Bialkovich

WOMAN As if someone was kicking a sack of potatoes. And also an applause. I just heard…

JOURNALIST 1   What about the flashlight? Thank you.

WOMAN The flashlight, yes. It was searching for us.

JOURNALIST 2   That’s why you decided to escape? Thank you. 

WOMAN Actually, it wasn’t my decision, they… 

JOURNALIST 3   What did they do to you? Thank you. 

WOMAN No, no, no one did anything to me. I was just feeling unwell, so they asked me to go. They said… They said it would be better if I went. 

JOURNALIST 1   Didn’t you fight against coercion? After all, any violence should be unacceptable to you as a woman. Thank you.

WOMAN Sorry? 

JOURNALIST 2   Didn’t you fight against coercion? After all, any violence should be unacceptable to you as a woman. Thank you.

WOMAN I don’t think it’s relevant. 

MODERATOR You obviously can’t yet assess the situation fully and objectively. (To the audience) Sometimes the assessment of the situation is distorted to allow the brain to cope with trauma. If we take the Stockholm syndrome as one of the most battered examples (the audience laughs)… Yes, yes, forgive me for such a dark comparison, let’s call it the most common example of the situation where the victim begins to sympathize with the abuser, denying any coercion.

WOMAN I guess I was just lucky. I haven’t experienced any of the things you’re talking about right now. 

JOURNALIST 3 And what are we talking about? Thank you. 

WOMAN (to the Moderator) Where are the others?

MODERATOR The others? 

WOMAN Where are the other people? 

MODERATOR It’s incredible. At a moment like this, you care about others. You are a true woman and this is an example of pure grace (he claps, followed by several supporting claps from the audience). 

JOURNALIST 3    You mentioned earlier that you were lucky. Did you mean you were lucky because you’d been born a woman?