Inès

Inès - Graphic novel - Jérôme d'Aviau and Loïc Dauvillier - Glénat, 2021

From the outside, they're an ordinary couple. He is perceived as the ideal husband, she as the shy, discreet wife. But when the door to their apartment closes, everything changes. Noises and make-up that do little to hide the bruises. Humiliations and beatings mark the daily life of this young mother. Neighbors and relatives look away, passive accomplices who refuse to see what mother and child are enduring. In just a few frames, this comic strip allows us to share in the totalitarian system set up for the violent spouse in the home. The deprivation of freedom, the threats, the violence that can strike at any time, the constant humiliations are all vividly described. The violence has an impact not only on the wife, but also on the young daughter, a mute and frightened witness to what the mother endures. The powerlessness and denial of the witnesses are aptly illustrated. This is a powerful and sad book about the reality of domestic violence, which can lead to feminicide. A useful and enlightening comic book for raising awareness of domestic and intra-family violence. The impact of violence on children is particularly highlighted.

• Graphic novel