between hero and victim, the same surge of gratitude

Saving others sometimes allows you to save yourself. Serge is the perfect example. One winter day in 1983, he heard a suspicious noise in the cellar of his Rennes building.

This very young adult rushes there and comes across Lysiane, 8 years old, bloodied, naked, gagged by a man ready to rape her. The attacker flees. Serge does not hesitate. He catches up with him, immobilizes him. Nothing difficult for this dedicated boxer. The police come running and congratulate him: “We’ve been looking for him for months. He killed eight people.” For Serge, the world is turned upside down. He has just come out of four prison stays for burglaries and car theft. This rescue stopped his path towards the abyss of delinquency. Here he has become a hero: the neighbors greet him with respect; his family, until then saddened by his crimes, sings his praises.

Thus admired by everyone, Serge discovers that he no longer suffers from the complex he had since he was 4 years old, when his father abandoned him: “I had always felt inferior to those who had a dad.” In 2015, Serge received a message on Facebook. It’s Lysiane. She has finally found her savior. She wants to express her gratitude.

Serge cries. “I’ve wanted to talk to him for thirty years. She also saved me.” They see each other again, fall into each other’s arms. They talk about their children, their beautiful life. They have called each other every year since. Many of the saved look for their former savior to thank him. “This is part of the reconstruction process,” Serge understood.

Seeing the savior helps you leave the trauma behind. Those who face absolute evil also find hope in humankind through contact with kind-hearted souls. Serge was able to see it. His notoriety led to him being approached by assaulted women who felt the need to speak to him. He had become an allegory to cling to.