A distress signal made viral on social networks by two Quebec sisters has saved an American kidnapped by her violent ex-spouse in the United States.
“For us, it’s just the greatest gift to see that the sign is used and understood across the world. It just saved a life. This is the best example that it works in practice”, launch Florence-Olivia and Marie-Emmanuelle Genesse, aged 27 and 23.
Last Sunday, a woman was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, Jonathon Smith, in Tennessee. The 31-year-old allegedly got the American into his truck before locking the doors and preventing her from getting out.
Photo courtoisie, Hickman County Sheriff’s Office
A photo of Jonathon Smith taken following his arrest for kidnapping in the United States.
According to American media, Smith and the victim had “physical confrontations in the vehicle”. He even threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend with a screwdriver, telling her that “if he mightn’t have it, no one would have it”.
Stroke of luck
“She used the distress sign at a convenience store where her kidnapper stopped. It was the clerk who recognized his gesture with his hand and who called 911. This is proof that everyone has a role to play in relation to domestic violence, ”explains Florence-Olivia.
Photo courtesy, Canadian Women’s Foundation
It is this famous signal that the sisters have made viral with their videos having millions of views on TikTok and Instagram. Simply raise your hand, palm facing out, then tuck your thumb into your hand and finally close your fingers.
Crédit : the.sisofficial / Tiktok
Thanks to this, the American was quickly saved with the intervention of the Tennessee police. Interestingly, authorities later confirmed that the victim learned regarding the signal on TikTok.
This gesture was first created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation to report a situation of domestic violence. Marie-Emmanuelle Genesse adds, however, that it can now be used by anyone in distress.
Crédit : the.sisofficial / Tiktok
louder than words
“The physical sign is stronger than the spoken word in this kind of situation because it is understood throughout the world. People take it seriously. We have proof of this because this is the second time that it has happened”, specifies Mme Genesse.
Indeed, last fall, the signal was also used by a 16-year-old girl who had been abducted from a car in North Carolina. The teenager had made the gesture to other motorists on the road. The latter called 911 and quickly saved the young person with the authorities.
It should be noted that the two Quebec sisters, who speak perfect French, have expertise in this area. Marie-Emmanuelle is completing a master’s degree in feminist philosophy at Concordia University. For her part, Florence-Olivia is studying legal philosophy and specializing in sexual violence at Johns-Hopkins University in the United States.
