Photo: Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock
The former princess of Luxembourg,Tessy Antony, says that she once had to defend herself from a fellow military officer who tried to sexually assault her.
Antony, whojoined the Luxembourg Army at age 18, recalled the incident on Paola Diana’s podcast,Unleashed: The Game Changers.
“Another [member of the] military who tried to sexually assault me, so I needed to defend myself,” said after she was asked if she ever feared for life during her time in the military. She said the incident happened while on a peace-keeping mission in Kosovo where she was the only woman.
“I gave him a clap on his nose, and it was very painful for him,” she said of her defense, adding that the experience “was not a big deal” because she felt properly trained for such an altercation.
“But for me, it was not a big deal because I knew what to do,” Antony, who can no longer use the title of princess following her divorce from Luxembourg’sPrince Louis,said. “I had the education.”
Although Antony was able to fend off her attacker, the experience has inspired her to speak up about sexual violence on others’ behalf.
“But that’s why I speak up about it now, sexual violence in conflict, which is often a weapon of war, but also practiced between the military: man with man, man with woman, women towards men as well,” she explained. “And I think that’s a stereotype we need to talk more [about].”
“I want to give confidence to all of these other women that experience that,” she continued. “To speak up, defend themselves. Because I think we’re still a long way from that. It’s a shameful topic, isn’t it? When you’re being humiliated like that, to talk about it.”
“I try with my story… to give confidence to other women to be the woman they want to be,” she said.
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Tessy Antony.Can Nguyen/Shutterstock
Antony isn’t afraid to speak up on others’ behalf.
“Absolutely! No one deserves that. One should never assume. Either you know or be [quiet],” Antonywrote. “It’s not nice to talk badly about someone else just because one can, as he or she takes advantage of the anonymity of the web.”
“Stay Kind!!! it’s the new cool! She does not deserve that,” Antony added.
Antony was married to Luxembourg’sPrince Louisfrom 2006 until they announced their separation in 2017. Their divorce was finalized in 2019. The pair share sons Prince Gabriel and Prince Noah.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go toonline.rainn.org.
source: people.com
