From Trauma to Triumph Mayameen Meftahi's Resilient Path
THE JOURNEY
Originally born in Essex, Mayameen had an array of career paths, starting out as a Legal Secretary in a Top Criminal Law Firm in Essex, JSPS Solictiors.
Travelling a passion, Mayameen settled for a number of years in Tunisia with her husband, working as an English Teacher.
In 2009, Mayameen suffered a birth trauma, enduring paralysis and requiring reconstructive surgery a year later, due to medical negligence and obstetric violence. Mayameen was compensated for this and the surgeon was removed from practicing, however this was the onset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
In 2011, Mayameen began her Journey, working with women affected by Sexual Violence, in particular women subjected to Female Genital Mutilation, being able to resonate with the impact of such violation.
“I didn’t feel like a woman anymore, I felt mutilated”
Qualifying as a Psychotherapist and NLP Practitioner, her outstanding knowledge of overcoming Psychological Trauma led her to pioneer her signature Trauma Recovery Program, based upon the PTSD Psychology of War Veterans in America.
In 2012, unknowingly to the outside world, Mayameens childhood trauma was triggered by the sentencing of her father to prison for his heinous crime of Child Sexual Abuse, Rape and Drug use to aid his crimes.
Mayameen used this suffering to Advocate for Sexual Violence victims including her greatest moment, as an Advocate for an FGM Victim who was pregnant and had fled forced Marriage in Gambia, attending her labour and being participant to what can happen with a survivor-survivor led approach.
As a Public Speaker, Mayameen has embraced many an opportunity with taking the stage as a TEDX Speaker in 2016, whereby she talked about her own birth trauma and that of Fatima’s story above.
Despite it all, Mayameen had still remained silence to her own lifelong suffering…
In 2018, Mayameen broke this silence and hit the Media by waving her Lifelong Anonymity, becoming an International Public Figure. Breaking in “That’s Life Magazine”, and within a matter of days, Mayameen had received an out pour of support, with hundreds of Survivors reaching out to share their story, whilst a short video made by Mayameen that morning, shared on Facebook, had many thousands of views.
“I had to find a way to deal with my trauma and to make my wounds worth it”
Successfully Campaigning against Injustice by way of Petitioning, Advocating and launching Movements.
Mayameen in particular, has left a Legacy in Wales as her Child House Petition created a change in Bill and her desire for the first Child Refuge in the UK to be passed in motion at the Senedd, still in discussions until this day.
THE STORY
Shaming the silence, Mayameen decided to waive her Anonymity, spiralled by the upcoming release of her father the first week of May 2018, after he was Sentenced to a 10 year imprisonment, yet only serving 6 1/2 years of his sentence, he was due to be released.
With the onset of what was about to happen, in March 2018 Mayameen had an instinct to google his name… the headline appearing: UPDATE: Chelmsford prisoner found on fire died by accident…
In 2011, whilst away on holiday, Mayameen received the most life changing telephone call from Essex Police, that her father ‘had been arrested, you are now safe’…
20+ years on into her life, Mayameen screamed as she collapsed to the floor ‘why now, why now, why are you trying to destroy my life, it’s too late’.
Confused, shocked, terrified that her father would kill himself! She returned from holiday, back to the UK, to unveil an entrenched sexual abuse and rape history.
Never, could Mayameen have prepared herself for what she was about to learn… a deep sickening history of power, from the man named her father.
Months and months of the family home being turned upside down, more evidence just pouring in from all area, it was something so horrifying to go through and to learn new of events in Mayameens childhood, that she had no recognition and knowledge of…
Wondering when this black turmoil of never ending pain was going to end…
At the Hearing on the 8th March 2012 at Basildon Crown Court,
Mr Colby pleaded ‘Guilty’ to:
- Incest x 4
- Indecent Assault on a Female x 8
- Committing Gross Indency with a Child
- Making Indecent Photographs or Pseudo-Photographs of a Child
Sentenced as follows:
Total Sentence of 10 years imprisonment less 224 days on remand
To sign the Sex Offenders Register Indefinitely
Forfeiture of Equipment and Forfeiture and Destruction of Drugs
Despite, Mayameen being in attendance at the sentencing hearing from her own free will, she was not needed in the entire case, as the harrowing evidence was stacked up high, in what was one of the most monumental cases for evidence in history of Child Sexual Abuse.
As the Judge spoke of Mayameens amazing strength, of her innocence as a child, evilly ripped away by the one person who should have protected her, it was clear that she was lucky to be alive.
Begrudgingly, sentencing Mr Colby on what was the maximum sentence for historical child abuse at the time.
Evidence in this case consisted of:
- 60+ hours of Video Footage
- Photographs
- CCTV Equipment with cameras installed in the bedroom light bulb fittings
- Transmitters placed in plug sockets
- A harrowing black Diary
And plenty more evidence that was used, to convict Mr Colby, ironically with his very own doing.
Had I ever had one tiny inkling that I could have been believed, I would have saved myself. What I endured, was one of the worst hell’s of my life, and it literally consumed my every single day for as long as a I can remember, I was never given a chance to be a child, or a teenager. I was a lamb to slaughter, day in and day out. I was told, that I was lucky to be alive due to the extreme abuse Let alone, in 2011 finding out by the police day by day, as more and more evidence came to light, that I could have been saved. In the words of Abbey, my amazing officer in the case, whom I will always hold much love and respect, ‘if you read it in a book, it would seem to far fetched, only it’s real, and you lived it’
Mayameen Meftahi
FURTHER MEDIA COVERAGE
One in 20 UK children have been sexually abused, and 90% of this abuse occurs by someone the victim knows-yet a third of the abused don’t tell anyone.
Natasha, Emily and Mayameen give poignant first-hand accounts of their childhoods and how they have created new lives for themselves following years of being abused by their dads.
Mayameen along her intriguing and inspiring Journey, has achieved many milestones and Awarded a BEM for her services to Child Victims by the Queen was humbling.
No one heard her silent cries, but they will hear her pained voice as she raises the platform for Survivors. And yours can be heard too!
Her Legacy in Wales, with her campaigning, she hopes will live on,
You can also see more of Mayameen’s Public Speaker milestones
Mayameen Meftahi is Self-Employed, running this Business a Certified Social Enterprise, with Social Enterprise UK. Registration number: 9924
Over the years of being Qualified and Practicing, Mayameen utilised her professional skills and her personal lived experience of Child Sexual Abuse to design her very own Trauma Recovery Program, over time this program has evolved to be a lifeline for people overcoming PTSD, the program Mayameen created gained CPD Accreditation and commissioned to Action for Children.
Mayameen then became an Accredited Training Provider, to provide training to Professionals as well as branching out her Program to Train the Trainer.
A social business, giving back to victims of Sexual Violence with access to her Group Recovery Program and giving her time voluntary to provide support to hundreds of women in her free Facebook Group
QUALIFICATIONS/AWARDS
Registered Psychotherapist
NLP Life Coach
Professional Independent Advocate (City & Guilds)
CACHE Level 2 – Caring for Young People & Children
Applied Behaviour Analysis Diploma
Inner Child Healing Diploma
Holistic Health Practitioner Certificate
Fitness Diploma
Yoga Diploma
Mayameen has completed all the above Qualifications and been Awarded the professional ASC Diplomas at QLS Level 3 from Quality Licence Scheme.
Accredited and recognised by independent bodies ensures she has received training to the appropriate standard.
