Domestic abuse survivor describes the moment Siri saved her life from her attacker
Warning: This article contains discussion of domestic violence which some readers may find distressing.
One woman who survived a horrific domestic abuse attack that could have killed her has revealed how Apple's Siri voice assistant played a key role in stopping the incident, and hopes that her experience will help others in the future.
It's safe to say that Siri hasn't exactly been one of Apple's most popular features in the 14 years since it was introduced, and there have been plenty of people left frustrated at the seemingly never-ending wait for an enhanced version that the tech company has promised multiple times.
It'd be a surprise if most people who own an iPhone say that they use Siri regularly, yet one of the feature's few dedicated fans has revealed how it actually saved her life in a terrifying attack.
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Emma-Louise Kelly revealed in an interview with Good Morning Britain that she was a big fan of Siri, having used it regularly when cooking and for convenience when messaging friends, and that familiarity led her to call on the voice assistant in a moment of desperation.
She explains how things quickly turned sour after a relatively normal date night with her ex-boyfriend, as upon returning home his behavior towards her became abusive and violent.
"I walked in and he just started to attack me verbally and then it became violent," she bravely recalled. "He was punching me, kicking me, strangling me until I passed out, and then sexual assault after that followed. It was horrific."
Understandably, she was both terrified and desperate to find any way to save herself from a situation that could have easily killed her, illustrating that the relentless attacks that left her often in a state of unconsciousness made it near impossible to call for help.
It was Emma-Louise's helplessness that led her to call out to her phone as a last resort option, and it was miraculously the thing that saved her life in the end.
"I shouted out to my phone, and I was shouting for it to [call the police] and luckily it connected and they literally came and saved my life," she revealed, adding that the police arrived 20 minutes later while the attack was still ongoing.
It wasn't just Siri that she was desperately calling out for, either, as she had also attempted to alert the Alexa devices she had in her house, but her ex-boyfriend had destroyed those, leaving only her phone, which was hidden in the corner of the room, to come to her aid.
When explaining her reason for sharing her experience so bravely, Emma-Louise detailed: "I want to raise awareness for other men and women in those situations and I want them to know that they can speak out and they can also use their phones in other ways to help them."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 1−800−799−SAFE(7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224 or (206) 518-9361 (Video Phone Only for Deaf Callers). The Hotline provides service referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.