Hainault attack: Survivor says it’s a ‘miracle’ his family survived

A man injured when an attacker broke into his home in Hainaut told the BBC it was a “miracle” he and his family were not killed.

Henry De Los Rios Polania, his wife and four-year-old daughter were sleeping when a man with a sword broke into their home on April 30.

The 35-year-old suffered serious hand injuries while fending off the intruder.

Four other people were attacked in the area, including 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, who died from his injuries.

Mr Los Rios Polania said he and his wife fell asleep watching TV on a “normal” evening and opened their eyes the next morning to see a man standing in front of them with a sword.

He said: “I thought I was going to die…even my wife and child. We thought we were going to die that morning.”

In his first interview since the attack, he said: “I think a miracle happened in this room.”

He recounted the moment he looked around for something to protect himself from the sword, only to find “pillows and teddy bears.”

Mr. Los Rios Polania made it clear that he could not go into more detail about what happened in the bedroom because he did not want to jeopardize the police investigation.

His wife and child were not injured, but he fears his daughter may suffer from the trauma she experienced and may experience flashbacks in the future. “I just hope she doesn’t remember anything,” he said.

Mr. Los Rios Polania was released from hospital on Wednesday but will have to return for further operations due to the severity of his injuries.

He underwent a nearly 10-hour operation to reconstruct tendons and veins as surgeons battled to save his hand.

On the day he spoke to the BBC, doctors had told him the news that a finger they feared might be lost would recover.

Mr. Los Rios Polania’s sister said last week that she believed he was a hero protecting his family. He burst into tears as he accepted that there was truth in it.

“I protected my family… I will do anything for my family,” he said.

The 35-year-old thanked the paramedics, police and doctors who “came forward to help” and said they had all done a “great job”. He added that he wanted to “thank God for keeping me alive.”

On the same morning, 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin was injured. He was attacked near his home and later died from his injuries.

Mr Los Rios Polania told the BBC: “I feel so sorry for his family… As I approached the ambulance I saw him lying on the ground… This shouldn’t have happened.”

Three other people – including two police officers – were also seriously injured.

A man has been charged with murder and is scheduled to go on trial in February.

It has been little more than a week since the attack in Hainault and Mr Los Rios Polania told the BBC he was still coming to terms with the “nightmare”.

He has not yet returned to his homeland and fears that he and his family will never be able to bear the return and will have to look for somewhere else to live.

“The local community has supported us, but we just need to find a way out and try to start again,” he said.

“We have to move on with our lives. All I know is that I’m going to make the next house I go to really safe. I don’t want anyone from outside to come.”

On Saturday, Daniel’s parents released a statement paying tribute to their “beloved and amazing son.”

They said: “We as a family are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Daniel. We are currently having a hard time processing what happened to him and the fact that he will never come home. Daniel had left the house to go to school then he was gone.

“Our children have lost their loving and precious brother and we have lost the most beloved and greatest son.”