When I saw the marks on his body, something inside me broke. This could not be a coincidence. I tried to speak calmly, even though my hands were trembling:
— Daniel… who did this?

Crying, he whispered:

— My stepfather. He always does this… if I don’t obey.

At that moment, it clicked in my mind: I cannot remain silent. I contacted the school psychologist and the same day we reported the incident to the proper authorities.

A few days later, specialists along with the police went to the boy’s home. What they saw only confirmed the worst fears.

Daniel’s mother met them with a frightened look, her whole body seemed to say: “I’m afraid.” It turned out that she herself had constantly lived under pressure and fear. The stepfather kept both of them under complete control.

For me, this was a terrifying revelation. Real violence can be happening around us, and we don’t even notice it until someone decides to lift the veil.