Actress and filmmaker, Juliet Ibrahim has alleged that a former partner repeatedly raped her during a past relationship.
Speaking in an interview on the WithChude YouTube channel, the actress said her ex-lover forced himself on her several times despite her refusal.
However, she didn’t involve the police and didn’t mention who the particular person was.
“I kept saying, ‘No, stop it. You pinned me down, and you’re doing whatever it is. And you’re smiling. Saying, ‘don’t worry.’ And you’re kissing while I’m crying. Like, that means you’re a rapist,” she narrated.
Juliet Ibrahim explained that her former partner believed that being in a relationship meant consent was automatic. She said she struggled at the time to fully understand what was happening or how to seek help.
“Every day he wanted to do something. That is rape. In those kinds of cases, you cannot even explain. Who do you go and tell? Who’s going to come and fight for you? You’re naive. You don’t think about it,” she said.
The actress further alleged that the abuse went beyond sexual violence. According to her, she was sometimes locked inside his house for days until her sister came to her rescue.
“I had to leave that relationship. I fought my way out because he even locked me up in his house for some days until my sister Sonia came to find me. I was scared. Like, what do I do?” she recounted.
Years after the experience, Juliet Ibrahim is encouraging women facing similar situations, including in marriage, to report such incidents.
“Ladies, you can report it now. There are people you can go to. If your husband is forcing you to do something when you’re not in the mood, it is rape. You cannot force a woman,” she stated.
She added that the experience has made her more cautious in relationships, saying she now prioritises conversations about consent early on.
“When I’m dating, I ask questions. If a guy says, ‘When you’re not in the mood, what if I’m in the mood?’ I say, ‘I don’t care.’ I look at you as a rapist immediately because that means you want to force me,” she said.
