New film reveals disturbing truth
JACQUE Lachmund is popular, successful, outgoing and living her dream life.
On the outside, Ms Lachmund portrays a picture of success, running a major charity and relishing the time she spends with her son, daughter and her grandkids, but deep down the 50-year-old hides a terrifying secret.
Some years ago, a man she deeply trusted tried to kill her by wrapping his hands around her throat, crushing her windpipe and choking the life out of her.
“Emotionally and mentally, it’s those feelings of fear that really turn into a question of whether you are going to live or die,” said the chief executive of Australia’s CEO Challenge.
Ms Lachmund fought for her life, eventually pretending to pass out in the hope the man would think she was dead and stop the assault.
The trick worked and the assailant let her go.
“Your survival instinct kicks in and you do whatever you need to do to make it stop,” she said.
While many years have passed since the attack, Ms Lachmund remembers it like yesterday.
She hopes her experience will inspire other strangulation survivors to come forward with their stories.
Ms Lachmund is one of the stars of a new short domestic violence film commissioned by Red Rose Foundation called Deadly Romance.