Abusive relationships come in many forms, be that psychical or mental. One woman in particular says she was controlled by her partner, who made her work out every single day and keep a strict diet of only tuna and beetroot.
Gemma Doherty, 30 says her boyfriend turned her into a zombie following months of both gruelling mental and physical abuse. Her now ex-boyfriend, Anwar taunted her every day with images of fitness model Graceyanne Barbosa, and unfairly criticised her for not looking like the model. The mum of two was given a strict exercise regime and a daily quota to reach by the end of each day. Anwar’s goal for Gemma was not only for his spouse to burn 500 calories each day but also to ‘have an ass like Kim Kardashian’. The taunts and abusive behaviour grew worse over the course of the 15-month relationship, and Gemma explains that within the last nine months the abuse worsened and he began to dictate what she could and couldn’t wear.
Speaking out about her abuse Gemma was forced to use the treadmill every day and says she was made to feel like a guinea pig in lab, she explains to The Mirror ‘I was like a zombie… he wanted me to have an ass like Kim Kardashian’. Anwar also taunted her with photos of other women, mocking Gemma to remind her of what he thought she ‘should’ look like. Other than being made to exercise under the grotesque regime, she was also beaten several times and made to wear men’s clothes to cover any scars or bruises. To make matters worse her spouse of just over a year hired men to wait outside and lord off any potential suiters.
The controlling relationship has since come to an end and under new laws implemented in December - where controlling behaviour is an offence - Anwar has been jailed on nine counts of assault and damage. Anwar, 27, pleaded guilty to the charges against Gemma and has since been sentenced to 16-month imprisonment.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.