A 25-year-old woman has spoken out about the dangers of domestic violence after she says her former boyfriend assaulted her.
Carleigh Hager suffered severe injuries and had bite marks all over her body after an attack in October, WTHR reported.
Hager told the news station that she had been in a relationship for two years with 26-year-old Ryan Cameron and they were living together.
“He was Prince Charming. I fell in love with him instantly,” Hager told reporters.
Although the couple appeared happy in a number of photos on social media, Hager said their relationship took a turn in the months before the assault. She alleged that Cameron began to verbally abuse her and when she cried because of this, he would punch her in the stomach.
The assault occurred after they returned home with some friends from a wedding.
“He started calling me names like ‘effin’ b’, the ‘c-word’ and then he proceeded to tell his friends if they ever wanted to f*** me, here was their opportunity,” she added.
Hager went on to say that Cameron locked their friends out of the house and attacked her.
“And he tried to rip my tongue out with his bare fingers from here all the way up to here and he succeeded, half way. He got the right side halfway. He got it halfway ripped out,” she told reporters.
“Immediately started pouring blood and I freaked out and was screaming even harder and he tried to suffocate me with my own blood,” Hager told WTHR. “He put his hand right here and plugged my nose and I couldn’t breathe.”
Hager explained that she blacked out and struggled to remember the attack. Her friends were able to call the police, who arrived soon afterwards and arrested Cameron.
“He bit the tip of my ear off. He tried to bite my nose off. He tried to bite my fingers off. I have bite marks up and down my back, on my butt. He bit my neck,” she said in hospital.
Hager felt the need to speak out about her story to warn others. She emphasized how important it was not to ignore the warning signs.
“You just can’t believe that. You have to tell somebody. You can’t be embarrassed. You can’t be ashamed. You have to tell somebody because I almost died and it can happen,” she told WXIN.