After being attacked in Panama in late October while traveling, a couple from Gatineau, Que., now needs time to recover from the physical and mental trauma.
“I think it's good to be with friends and family, but at the same time my heart is there. I'm somewhere else,” said Geneviève Plouffe, who returned home with her partner Martin Audette a month ago.
They were on a multi-year journey through South and Central America.
“The plan was not to return (home). The plan was to just travel and live life. But I don't know how I feel.”
Plouffe and Audette were in a parked bus they had converted into a caravan near the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal on October 28 when attackers opened fire and forced their way into the vehicle.
Plouffe said the men dragged Audette out and beat him with a hammer and the butt of a gun.
Others boarded the bus and demanded money, threatening Plouffe's life.
Geneviève Plouffe claims that on October 28, she and her husband, Martin Audette, were in a parked bus when a group of armed attackers shot at the vehicle and forced their way inside.
“I still feel pain, like in my sternum and ribs. I have scars on the back of my head,” Audette said.
“The recovery process was what it was. It was like I had just been beaten – really beaten badly.”
The couple said they know mental recovery will be a long process. Since the attack, they have been struggling with flashbacks and anxiety.
“You feel angry, you feel sad, you feel a lot of emotions… joy, pain and sadness about what happened,” Audette said.
“But it's part of life. We all know that life is not 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 between $40,000 and $50,000 in hospital and legal fees.
In a written response, Global Affairs Canada confirmed it was aware of the incident involving the two Canadians but declined to comment due to privacy concerns. Canadian consular officials in Panama are contacting local authorities and providing assistance.
On the advice of the Canadian Embassy in Panama, the couple hired a lawyer, hoping their case would be heard.
Radio-Canada reached out to police authorities in Panama but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Plouffe said several weeks ago that police identified two suspects. The couple said updates from local authorities were rare.
Audette hopes to bring the attackers, as well as the owner of the property where they parked, to justice in Panama.
“Before we left Panama, we hired this lawyer… and the last thing I told him before we left was that someone had to pay and it wasn't going to be me.”
He plans to return to El Salvador
Before returning to Canada, the couple sought help from a psychologist in El Salvador who specializes in treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Visiting a psychologist in Quebec is very difficult. So in El Salvador it was very quick and very easy,” Plouffe said.
The couple said they also found comfort in the support of family and friends.
“Van lifers are a crazy, amazing community. They are very nice and help us a lot,” Plouffe said. “We are so happy to be part of this beautiful family.”
They plan to stay in Canada for a few more weeks before returning to El Salvador, mainly to seek medical, psychological and psychiatric support. Warmer weather also has an impact, Plouffe said.
The couple also plans to return to Panama one day to retrieve the bus, which needs extensive repairs.