Help Asel survive after horrific abuse

Dear friends, there has been a tragic in our family. On September 20th, I opened my Instagram and saw disturbing news about how a young woman became a victim of her ex-husband. She suffered multiple stab wounds, and whose nose and ears were cut off. The news shocked me, but it became more shocking when I later found out it was my cousin How come?? How did this even happen? No, it can’t be true, I don't believe it! How can one even imagine this?

I called my parents, I called her, I called my brother, I called everyone, no one didn’t answer me. Since I live abroad on a permanent basis, it was challenging to get in touch with my family. Finally, after some time I was able to talk to my brother, and he said it was indeed her, my cousin Asel, and that this horrible event happened to her. How could this happen? Asel and her ex-husband have been divorced for 5 years. All those years he would repeatedly beat her, sexually assault her, keeping her in the state of terror! She made countless reports to the police, showed evidence of the assaults, had videos as a proof but the police just would detain him for 2 days and then release him.

During those years I couldn’t tell you how many times we have been to the police station. We were simply told that there is no real crime or until he kills, they will not take up the case, and since there is no law on domestic violence in our country. They are officially divorced, she is no longer his wife. They have two children together but he doesn’t have any parental rights.

On that day, morning of September 20, my cousin’s ex-husband was waiting for her outside her house. The eldest son already left home for school and the younger son, who is 10 years old, was home. My cousin was getting ready to leave for work, when she opened the door, he struck her twice and she lost consciousness. Then the ex-husband started beating my cousin, then carried her into the living room and began cutting off her ears and then her nose. The youngest son was also in the living room. He covered himself with a blanket and sat silently, as he got so terrified. Then the ex-husband cut my cousin’s throat, but he did not hit the carotid artery. At this time, the neighbors suspected something was wrong and called the police.

My cousin underwent surgery to stitch her nose and ears back. Piece by piece, the surgeons did their best to rebuild them and they don’t know whether they will heal appropriately and will not be rejected. It all depends on her immune system and the quality of surgeries. She is now in a semi-comatose state, she does not speak, she does not know what happened to her.

Me and my family ask for your prayer, support and financial help.

My cousin still needs to undergo 4 or 5 surgeries. We are hoping that she can get these surgeries done abroad since the country where she lives doesn’t have experienced surgeons. She is from Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.

We ask all of you who is able to donate as much as you can, even the small amount, please do so!