After being attacked in Panama at the end of October while travelling, a couple from Gatineau, Que., is now 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 over there. It’s somewhere else,” said Geneviève Plouffe, who returned home a month ago with her partner Martin Audette.
They were in the middle of a years-long road trip across South and Central America.
“The plan was not to come [home]. The plan was to simply travel and live the life. But I don’t know how I feel.”
Plouffe and Audette were inside their parked bus, which they had transformed into a mobile home, near the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal on Oct. 28 when attackers opened fire and forced their way inside the vehicle.
The men dragged Audette out and beat him with a hammer and the butt of a gun, Plouffe said.
Others entered the bus and demanded money, threatening Plouffe’s life.
Geneviève Plouffe says she and her husband Martin Audette were inside their parked bus on Oct. 28 when a group of armed assailants fired on 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,” Audette said.
“The recovery process was what it was. It’s like, I just got beat up — like, beat up real bad.”
The couple said they know recovering mentally will be a long process. Since the attack, they’ve been struggling with flashbacks and anxiety.
“You feel anger, you feel sadness, you feel a lot of emotions … joy, pain and sadness for what happened,” Audette said.
“But it’s part of life. We all know life is not always great, with different chapters and different obstacles to go through. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Path to justice
Without insurance, the couple says they’ve incurred $40,000 to $50,000 in hospital and legal fees.
In a written response, Global Affairs Canada confirmed it is 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 are providing assistance.
On the advice of the Canadian embassy in Panama, the couple hired a lawyer hoping their case will be heard.
Radio-Canada reached out to police authorities in Panama but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Plouffe said a few weeks ago, two suspects were identified by police. The couple said updates from local authorities are infrequent.
Audette hopes to hold the attackers, as well as the owner of the property where they were parked, accountable through the justice system in Panama.
“Before leaving Panama, we hired this lawyer… and the last thing I said to him before we left was, someone has to pay, and it’s not going to be me.”
Plans to return to El Salvador
The couple sought help from a psychologist in El Salvador, who specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder, prior to returning to Canada.
“To have [a] psychological appointment in Quebec, it’s very difficult. So in El Salvador, it was very quick, very easy,” said Plouffe.
The couple said they’ve also found comfort in support from family and friends.
“The van-lifers are a crazy, amazing community. They are very kind, and they give us a lot of help,” said Plouffe. “We are very happy to be part of that beautiful family.”
They plan to stay in Canada for a few more weeks before returning to El Salvador, primarily for medical, psychological, and psychiatric support. The warmer weather is also a factor, said Plouffe.
The couple also plans to travel back to Panama one day to retrieve their bus, which requires extensive repairs.
