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Outlook: Finding healing in the sea that took my family

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Geraldine Mullan lies on her back in the sea, with rocky outcrops behind her

27/09/2021 GMT

Finding healing in the sea that took my family

BBC World Service - Outlook, Finding healing in the sea that took my family

Geraldine Mullan swims to remember her family who died when their car veered into the sea

The unthinkable happened to Geraldine Mullan: her entire family died when their car crashed into the sea. Just weeks later, she overcame her fear to swim in that same water.

Geraldine Mullan lived with her husband John and their two children Tomás and Amelia in a town on the beautiful Irish coastline of County Donegal – a salty inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. They all loved the water, which during lockdown became a welcome escape for the whole family. But in August 2020, the car they were travelling in plunged into the sea during a dreadful storm – in a split second Geraldine lost her husband and both of her children. She tells Jo Fidgen how she found the strength to get back into the water two months after it stole the people she loved most in the world, and why she feels closer to them when she's swimming. Geraldine has opened a centre for her local community called the Mullan Hope Centre, in memory of her family.

There's been a long history of violence in Colombia and 50 years of armed conflict have done terrible damage, physically and psychologically to the people living there. Since the war ended five years ago with a peace deal between the governnent and leftwing guerillas, the Colombian Truth Commission has been set up to get to the root of what happened. Marta Hinestroza was a lawyer in Colombia and had to flee the country after she received death threats. Now living in the UK she's been appointed one of the interviewers for the Colombian Truth Commission. She tells our reporter Grace Livingstone why it's important to hear from both victims and perpetrators of the war, and why lessons must be learned so that the mistakes of the past can be avoided in future.
 

If you've been affected by any of subjects in this programme you can find support and additional information below:

BBC Action Line: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/

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Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Picture: Geraldine Mullan in the sea 
Credit: David Conachy

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