Lizzy Davies: The Guardian – Back to home
The Guardian
crisis that overwhelmed Lebanon in 2019 and created an
enormous gulf between people’s living costs and incomes. He had grown at once dependent on, but resentful of, the money brought in by his son and wife: Rima had started working as well.
“He didn’t work. He told me, ‘whatever I do, the money will not be enough’,” says Rima.
It was then, she says, that he “lost his senses.” The attack was witnessed by all her sons, including the youngest, aged three. Had it not been for her eldest coming to her aid and alerting her neighbours, Rima is certain she would have died. Despite the severity of the assault, she was too scared to go to the police, she says: “Because I’m a Syrian refugee. And I didn’t know what to expect. I was living in my bubble.”
Immediately after the attack, her husband was still angry. “He called [a neighbour with whom she was staying] and said, ‘You tell Rima to come back and if she doesn’t come back with the kids I will kill her. I will go to your place and kill her.’”
