Brentford star Yoane Wissa has opened up about the harrowing experience in which it is said that acid was thrown into his face, and told how the attack made him fear that he could be blind to life.
The 28-year-old, who has the record for Brentford's most goals in the Premier League, has been living with trauma and fear since the shocking incident.
A 36-year-old woman, only identified as Laetitia P., is currently on trial in France because she would have attacked Wissa at his home in July 2021, only a few days before his transfer of £ 8.5 million from Lorient to Brentford.
In addition to the alleged acid attack, Laetitia P. is also accused of kidnapping Wissa's daughter and kidnaping the baby from another woman the next day. If she is found guilty, she can get up to thirty years in prison.
During an emotional testimony before the court in Vannes, Brittany, Wissa told about the terrifying events. He explained that he had let in the woman's apartment in Lorient after she had previously visited a signature.
According to The Sun he said: “I opened a door and liquid was thrown into my face. I screamed and couldn't breathe.
“My wife called the emergency services and they said I had to take a shower to rinse my eyes. In the hospital they told me that my eyes were burned. Every hour someone had to come to rinse them out.
“It has been a nightmare. Since then I panic every time I hear a sound, and the only thing that kept me up was the knowledge that my children are safe.
'I had surgery on both eyes and the doctor told me that I should use eye drops for the rest of my life. It took six months before I could fully see again.
“If I hadn't been treated so quickly, the consequences would have been much worse.”
Wissa described the days after the attack as deep traumatic. He immediately recognized the suspect and remembered that she was wearing sunglasses at 11 p.m.
“I want justice,” he said. “Why did this happen to me? My wife and I will suffer from the aftermath for the rest of our lives.
“This has very delayed my move to Brentford. I missed their preseason and when I arrived, the manager [Thomas Frank] said he had already prepared his first team. “
Despite the support of the manager of Brentford, Wissa admitted that he had difficulty adapting after the attack. “I reacted more like a father than as a football player, and told myself that my children are at least unharmed, even though I am blind,” he said.
The attack has had lasting emotional and psychological consequences. “Since then I have retired. I can no longer tolerate that I am close to people I don't know.
'I don't care as much love now as before, and when I walk, I instinctively look back. And at night I can no longer sleep when I am alone. My children often ask me what I have done with my face, but they are too young to tell them what happened.
'An operation has been offered to me, but I refused, because this is part of my personal history. My wife and I have to go to a psychologist and she suffered from depression. “
Wissa revealed that the couple married shortly after the incident and said, “You never know what fate has in store for you.”
The process is underway.
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