I had confronted my boyfriend with his abusive behaviour during and after our relationship. I asked him to send me a letter in which he would admit what he did and apologise for it. I wanted him to realise what he had done and I hoped that this was a way for him to change and for me to forgive. It took him 2 years to do this and when I received his letter in 2014 I realised that he had written it solely out of the fear of facing consequences and that it was no expression of taking either me or his behaviour seriously.
The open letter of a victim/survivor of sexualised violence to the left scene of Berlin then gave me a new perspective on how I could deal with this not on my own, but collectively. It was crucial that one comrade and friend offered his support to me without me having to ask, which I probably would have never done.