Thoughts on Believe me: the abduction of Lisa McVey

​Last night, I watched a really captivating movie “Believe me: the abduction of Lisa McVey“. The movie revolves around Lisa, a beautiful 17-year-old girl who is kidnapped and repeatedly raped by a serial killer but has safely returned home thanks to her incredible resourcefulness. When the little girl tells the family the ordeal she has been through, they ignore it, cruelly accusing her of lying. It is disheartening when even the police dismiss her account as a mere figment of her imagination. Nobody believes her as her exceptional intelligence, remarkable calmness and keen powers of observation, which have helped her survive, are beyond belief. Her efforts of convincing others of her account seems to reach a dead end until one detective believes it, and that’s when the brutal crime starts to unfold.

Thanks to Lisa’s incredible powers of observation and strategic behaviors, the police are able to identify her kidnapper and also recognize this man is a rapist-murderer that they have been hotly pursuing. Despite her hands being restrained, she has skillfully attempted to touch the man’s face, hair and cheeks to remember his features, which later helps the police precisely draw a portrait of the criminal. Though she is blindfolded, she has managed to leave traces of fingerprints, hair and blood at the place where she stays. She catches glimpses of the kidnapper’s house and car as well as the road signs. She also sniffs the scent of his body and the things around her. She listens intently to the surroundings. She has masterfully used all her senses to gather evidence. With her extraordinary attention to detail, the kidnapper is arrested. Also her grand mother’s live-in boyfriend is also apprehended for his sexual assault on her.

It is inspiring to know that the movie is based on a true story and the survivor, Lisa McVey later became a police officer in real life. The movie evokes a plethora of thoughts and emotions in me. I’m amazed by her ingenuity, especially her wit in calming down the kidnapper’s anger and madness and awakening compassion and understanding within him. I’m genuinely encouraged when Lisa looks at herself in the mirror and tells herself ‘not to give up,’ as she knows things can be worse. It’s a strong reminder for me to remain resilient and composed in the face of challenges. I’m moved by her profound love for her sister, the only family member who cares for her, when she tells the kidnapper that she doesn’t have any siblings, all to protect her sister. And it’s heart-wrenching when she asks her grandmother, “Why didn’t you protect me?” as she leaves her grandmother’s house and her grandmother sits on the couch, coldly staring away with an angered expression.” No matter how brave and intelligent she is, the 17-year-old girl still seems so vulnerable when facing the harsh reality of being unloved within her own family.