After being attacked in Panama at the end of October while traveling, a couple from Gatineau, Que., are taking time to recover from the physical and mental trauma.
“I think it’s good to be with friends, with family, but at the same time, my heart is there. It’s somewhere else,” said Genevieve Plouffe, who returned home a month ago with her partner Martin Audet.
They were in the middle of a years-long road trip across South and Central America.
“It wasn’t the plan to go back (home). The plan was simply to travel and live life. But I don’t know how to feel.”
Plouffe and Audet were inside their parked bus, which they had converted into a mobile home, near the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal on October 28 when the attackers opened fire and stormed the bus.
The men dragged Audet outside and beat him with a hammer and the butt of a rifle, Plouffe said.
Others entered the bus, demanded money and threatened Plouffe’s life.
Genevieve Plouffe says she and her husband, Martin Audet, were inside their parked bus on Oct. 28 when a group of armed assailants shot at the vehicle and forced their way inside.
“I still have some aches, like my sternum still hurts and my ribs. I have scars all over the back of my head,” Odette said.
“It was the recovery process as it was. It was like I had just been beaten up — like really beaten up.”
The couple said they knew mental recovery would be a long process. Since the attack, they have been suffering from flashbacks and anxiety.
“You feel angry, you feel sad, you feel a lot of emotions…joy, pain, sadness about what happened,” Audette said.
“But it’s part of life. We all know that life isn’t always great, it has different chapters and different obstacles to overcome. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
The path to justice
Without insurance, the couple says they incurred $40,000 to $50,000 in hospital and legal fees.
In a written response, Global Affairs Canada confirmed that it was aware of the incident involving the two Canadians but declined to comment due to privacy concerns. Canadian consular officials in Panama are in contact with local authorities and offering assistance.
On the advice of the Canadian Embassy in Panama, the couple hired a lawyer in the hope that their case would be heard.
Radio-Canada reached out to police authorities in Panama but had not received any response at the time of publication.
A few weeks ago, police identified two suspects, Plouffe said. The couple said updates from local authorities are rare.
Audet hopes the attackers, as well as the owner of the property where they were parked, will be held accountable through Panama’s judicial system.
“Before leaving Panama, we hired this lawyer…and the last thing I said to him before we left was that someone has to pay, and it’s not going to be me.”
Plan to return to El Salvador
The couple sought help from a psychologist in El Salvador, who specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder, before returning to Canada.
“Getting a psychiatric appointment in Quebec is very difficult. So in El Salvador, it was very quick and easy,” Plouffe said.
The couple said they also found comfort in support from family and friends.
“Van Life people are a crazy, amazing community. They’re so kind, they help us so much,” Plouffe said. “We are very happy to be part of this beautiful family.”
They plan to stay in Canada for a few more weeks before returning to El Salvador, primarily for medical, psychological and psychological support. Warmer weather is also a factor, Plouffe said.
The couple also plans to return to Panama one day to retrieve their bus, which will require extensive repairs.
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