Bring Children to Safety from Sexual Violence
“IJM has been a huge support to me and has walked with me until the time we received justice. I’m grateful and pray that you will continue to help others who find themselves in the same situation.”
When a teacher noticed Rachele was tired, distraught and in pain, she took her to the doctor. That’s when she learned the 7-year-old had been raped by her father.
IJM worked with local police and her mother, who braved threats on her life, to find and arrest Rachele’s father.
In the courtroom, young Rachele bravely testified against her own father and didn’t hold anything back. With the help of her powerful testimony, Rachele’s father received a life sentence for his horrific crime.
For many children like Rachele, convictions like this never come. In poor communities, families are often unable to afford any sort of legal representation. When this poverty is met with corrupt police, justice for these children often feels impossible to attain.
When Rachele’s mother describes the fight for justice on behalf of Rachele, she says, “IJM has been a huge support to me and has walked with me until the time we received justice. I’m grateful and pray that you will continue to help others who find themselves in the same situation.”
Today, Rachele loves her studies and going to school and wants to be a lawyer or journalist when she grows up.