Kidnap Victim Still Needs Your Help

It’s been five days since Sabela Brakeman endured a brutal attack and kidnapping in her San Pedro home. Her estranged husband, Kenny Brakeman, allegedly broke in, beat her severely, and then took her on a jet ski. Sabela managed to escape near Caye Caulker and sought help from the police, identifying Kenny as her attacker. She had left him due to domestic violence and was living with a roommate. They shared custody of their three kids, aged eleven, nine, and four. Around one a.m. on Saturday, he allegedly broke in and beat her so badly she felt dizzy and nauseous. Kenny is still on the run, and the police are actively searching for him. Meanwhile, Sabela needs urgent surgical and dental treatment to fix a broken cheekbone, and teeth damaged during the assault. Her terrifying ordeal is, unfortunately, a reality for many facing domestic violence. Tonight, we’ll hear from an official at the National Women’s Commission about the support they offer to victims, and from Sabela herself, who has relocated with her children out of fear for their safety. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

 

On the Phone: Sabela Brakeman, Kidnap Victim

“All I wish is get him a message, let him turn himself in, let him turn himself in. I won’t deny my kids the right to visit him, if that is what he fears about, for giving himself in.”

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Tonight, Sabela Brakeman recounts the terrifying ordeal where her estranged husband viciously beat her, dragged her from her home, and took her on a seemingly endless jet ski ride. He threatened to kill her but then changed his mind, saying he’d drop her off at the Corozal shores. Seizing a moment of courage, Sabela struck him, jumped into the sea, and swam to safety, finding help at a nearby dock. Though she survived, Sabela’s injuries are severe, requiring urgent medical and dental care. Her story is a stark reminder of the many who endure gender-based violence. Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Chairwoman of the National Women’s Council, sheds light on the complex and often dangerous process of leaving an abusive relationship.

 

Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Chair, National Women’s Commission

“A victim of domestic abuse or gender based violence will try to leave a bad situation an average of eight to nine times before they’re finally successful.  The problem with it is that violence keeps escalating.  So you will notice that where it started out as a push or a slap, after a few times it turns into punches, it turns into more serious injuries. And every time you go through it, it gets worse and worse. And that’s the problem that we have in the sense that then sometimes you don’t make it out alive because you get caught up in the violence.”

 

Garcia-Ramirez points out that abusers often try to isolate their victims, cutting them off from friends and family. That’s why it’s so important for victims to keep a strong support network around them as they navigate their way out of these harmful situations.

 

Thea Garcia-Ramirez

“As a friend and family of a survivor, your job is not to ensure that the person goes to court and somebody goes to jail. It should, the foremost thing in your mind should be The stability and the integrity of the person who has undergone such a traumatic event and that they are well and that they get the help, the psychosocial help that they need. We’re not there to make sure that certain things happen because that’s what we want to see. We’re there to support. We’re there to help. Ensure that the person has as many of the options as possible and support them with the decisions whether or not they align with ours.”

 

Sabela Brakeman is asking for your help to deal with her medical needs so she can get her life back on track.

 

On the Phone: Sabela Brakeman

“I have trouble for eating still since all my teeth are shaking.  I have received some support from people from the key for some bedroom that are there supporting me and some people that watch the news.  I’m just here taking medication that I get from the hospital in KHMH.  I haven’t started any treatment. My sister is the one that has been cleaning my injuries. My nose is broken. My top gum is broken.  All my teeth are shaking. They’re very soft.”

 

Marion Ali

“So you also need dental work?”

 

Sabela Brakeman

“Yes.”

 

Thea Garcia-Ramirez shares some crucial signs to watch out for to help prevent situations like Sabela’s. She emphasizes that anyone feeling unsafe should seek help immediately, reassuring that support is available for those in need.

 

Thea Garcia-Ramirez

“At all the human services departments in each and every municipality, and in the cities, there’s one. You can seek out help through a different civil society organizations in different areas of the country. There’s, for example, POA in the south that does a lot of these things. In the north, there are some as well. You can ask for help through the police department through health services, and at your local Health facilities, government health facilities, they are required by law to call in a social worker when they suspect that something is wrong.”

 

Sabela Brakeman can be reached at 665 5083 if you want to help. Marion Ali for News Five.