In my Love is Blind series this far I’ve explored abusive situations in my relationships and those of my close friends. I’ve also shared my family background regarding the issue, to demonstrate the climate that I grew up in and how it shaped my perceptions of violence against women. The latter half of the series begins in the year 2002. We now turn back to the story of my close friend Raquel. It would take eight years for Raquel to finally get away from David, the man who became her abuser. In the next posts I hope to give you a sense of what it feels to be a bystander and a witness. Through my words I wish to convey what it is like watch as someone you love dearly is broken down, battered and stripped of who they are…