© Emilie Boland
As protesters gathered at Stade de Luxembourg to condemn the football federation's handling of a domestic violence case, Emilie Boland – the survivor at the centre of the scandal – spoke out against her abuser's attempts to discredit her.
Ahead of Luxembourg's international friendly match against Ireland, Emilie Boland – the ex-girlfriend of national team player Gerson Rodrigues, who was recently convicted of assault and domestic violence – spoke to our colleagues from RTL.lu about her decision to join a protest organised by feminist group CID Fraen an Gender at Stade de Luxembourg.
Boland, who attended the demonstration on Tuesday evening, explained that her participation was driven by a desire to thank the many supporters who have stood by her. "This isn't just about me," she emphasised, "[It's for all] women without a voice – those who don't receive the same support, whether out of fear or because they lack the strength to leave situations like the one I was in."
Reflecting on the public scrutiny surrounding her case, Boland described feeling "extremely grateful," particularly for the solidarity shown by men. "They're often overlooked in these discussions," she noted. "The only thing I can say is thank you to the men and women, to everyone who supports me, because without them, I would never have been able to do all this," Boland stated.
When questioned about her decision to share photos of her injuries, Boland revealed that many had doubted her account. The images, she clarified, were not in her possession initially but were part of the official police and prosecutor's files, taken after officers responded to the incident. Upon seeing them, she said, she realised her story could empower others. "This happened to me, I got out, and other women can too," Boland said.
Responding to a social media post by Rodrigues – in which the footballer accused her of mutual violence and seeking "publicity" – Boland firmly rejected the allegations. "No woman in the world takes pleasure in sharing such images online for marketing," she told RTL. As a former Miss Luxembourg winner and entrepreneur with her own clothing brand, Boland emphasised that the graphic photos were anything but advantageous. "This isn't a positive image for me; it's certainly not marketing," she said. Her sole motivation, she explained, was to show other survivors: "Look how bad it was – I escaped, and you can too."
The interview took place ahead of Luxembourg's friendly match against Ireland, which was met with protests criticising the Luxembourg Football Federation (FLF) for its handling of Rodrigues' case. The player had issued a separate statement on social media before the game.
