Female victim of violence gestures with her hand to a cashier of a shop and he intervenes to save her
Social networks are a double-edged sword, it is true, but if used with a little responsibility they can be very useful - even in very serious situations. The story we are about to tell you certainly proves this. A young woman managed to save herself thanks to a simple and very useful gesture - initially made famous on TikTok - and which even the cashier of a convenience store clearly recognized. It was a hand gesture with which the young woman asked for help. How much courage does it take to do such a thing? Unfortunately, many people who are victims of domestic violence are unable to find the strength and courage to speak up and take action, often because they never have the chance to do so. This hand gesture was created precisely for those women who are victims of domestic violence, and who, without ever having to say or write anything down (and which could be discovered by their abuser), can ask for help.
via Yahoo
Eric Streeval was on duty at a convenience store in Hickman County (USA) when he noticed a young woman who seemed to be muttering something. This seemed very strange to Eric, so he tried to understand what she was trying to tell him. The young woman, whose lips were moving silently, was trying to form the word "help". Observing her closer, the cashier noticed that while she was trying to mouth this word in her whispering voice, her hand moved in a gesture which was recognised by him: the young woman was desperately asking for help as she was in a dangerous situation. The young woman was accompanied by a man, who later turned out to be her ex-boyfriend.
At that point, everyone in the shop noticed that something was wrong and worked as a team to protect the young woman. Eric started talking to her, prolonging the conversation as much as possible - even pretending to be struggling with the cash register lock, while his colleagues called the police. Eric even managed to sneak a snapshot of the van the couple had showed up in at the store. The suspected abuser, however, soon realized that something was happening at the shop and within a few minutes he rushed out of the store, dragging the young woman with him. Fortunately, the police arrived before the abuser and his victim could disappear by driving off. A police car chased the van for about fifteen minutes before the suspect vehicle was stopped when it got into an accident. The suspect, a 31-year-old named Johnathan Smith, tried to escape, but the police officers were quicker and arrested him.
The anti-violence hand gesture to make if you are in danger
After the arrest, all the details of the story emerged: the criminal was the young woman's ex-boyfriend. The young woman had been threatened with violence by the criminal, and forcibly kidnapped by him. If Eric and his colleagues had not intervened, who knows what might have happened to this abused, young woman.
Eric has always been very attentive to these issues - so much so that he is part of a club of motorcyclists who assist victims of domestic violence. In an interview held after the incident, Eric stressed the importance of acting when faced with a person who needs help. Never back off or turn away from those in need.
