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Justice comes to La Paz December 22, 2009
Details:
Before November 2007, Liliana* was an ordinary eight-year old girl, living with her parents and three younger siblings in a Bolivian neighbourhood. She loved to play and enjoyed school, especially math. Liliana’s mother, Genara, cared for her children full-time and worried if she had to leave them alone. But one day, Liliana’s uncle convinced her to go shopping for the food and supplies they needed for the celebration. He promised her that all would be well and he would watch over the children.
That’s not what happened.
When Genera returned home she noticed that Liliana had changed her clothes and she appeared to be in pain when she walked. Liliana headed off to school anyway, but came home later complaining of an injury from falling on a rock. Liliana’s mother helped her daughter undress so she could tend to the wound. What she discovered shocked her. Liliana had been bleeding heavily and was clearly badly injured. Liliana’s explanation did not add up.
Genera took her daughter to the hospital. Finally, Liliana shared the truth. While her mother was out shopping, her uncle had followed her into a bedroom, closed the door, threw Liliana on the bed and raped her. He told her he would kill her if she told anyone what had happened.
Hospital staff called the police. The uncle was arrested. Then the harassment began. In Bolivia,
it is common for cases like Liliana’s to be settled within the family with cash payments. That’s
what Liliana’s uncle and his family wanted to do. They offered Liliana’s family $2000 and
ownership of a store if they would just drop the charges. But as the pressure to cut a deal within the family grew — to the point where Liliana and her family had to find a new place to live to
escape the threats and intimidation — so did the strength and conviction of this family that
justice was possible through the court process in Bolivia. And they had International Justice
Mission on their side, as a result of a referral made by the public prosecutor in April of 2008.
“Liliana and her family inspired us with their bravery and determination to see justice done,” says Maria Alandia, staff attorney with IJM Bolivia. The trial lasted three months. In the end Liliana, IJM and justice won. The uncle was sentenced to 23 years in prison without the possibility of parole. The entire legal process prompted Liliana’s family to draw on their own inner resources of strength and endurance. Her mother especially tapped into a thirst for justice and was determined to protect her daughter and other children who might suffer at the hands of a rapist. “Despite obstacles and setbacks,” says Genara, “we must never cease fighting for justice.”
Liliana’s victory is significant on a national level in Bolivia. The outcome of her case not only assured Liliana that she is a person of dignity and great worth who deserves protection and justice, but it also sent a strong message to a justice system in need of repair and restoration. “Every time a perpetrator is convicted in Bolivia,” says Alandia, “confidence in the legal system increases, so more people are likely to bring their cases to court and seek justice.” It has been an almost two-year battle for Liliana and her family.
Today, Liliana receives counselling from IJM to help in her recovery from the sexual assault. While her case is currently being appealed, IJM will represent her through the entire process. Liliana is back in school and living with her family. She has told IJM staff she wants to be a lawyer when she grows up.
IJM Bolivia seeks to reduce violence against children in the Department of La Paz, so that all Bolivian children will enjoy a greater measure of security and dignity. More than 1400 cases of sexual assault were reported in the Department of La Paz from 2001 to 2007, but less than three convictions a year were secured by the public justice system. In 2008, IJM Bolivia doubled this conviction rate by securing four of its own.
International Justice Mission seeks justice by bringing relief to the point of need: the individual. Believing it to be the most effective way to help people who are oppressed, IJM takes on individual casework because it also allows for an accurate diagnosis of the problem and provides concrete evidence about the abuse of power that can, in turn, helpfully inform policy and structural solutions.
However, impact spreads beyond the individual. A series of successful cases, in turn, sets precedents; policies change and countries begin to follow through with existing legal frameworks.
In 2004, Bridgeway Foundation partnered with International Justice Mission Canada to spearhead the start-up of their first overseas office in La Paz, Bolivia. New initiatives take time to become established. As well, cultural transformation can take years, even generations. Five years later, we are finally beginning to see the results of this investment which are influencing Bolivian society.
*Name has been changed and photo of Liliana and her family has been altered.
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