She had been asked to point out her perpetrators. A husband and wife couple who had taken advantage of her, and countless others before her. And because she has turned 18 between the date she was rescued and her court date, she was standing in a room full of on-lookers, with the opposing lawyer standing at the back of her, calling out questions and raising objections every few minutes.
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| Local court room office |
Court scenes are far from perfect anywhere, but in the Philippines they often seem even less so. Rooms full of cases lined up and presented one after another. Piles and piles of files and papers laying everywhere. Schedules delayed by late judges, witness or even defendants who don't show up or lawyers who just haven't had time to talk to their defendant. Translators who question the girl and the validity of their own translation, and judges whose plates are so full that they just don't have sufficient time to hear every case, and often hurry the witnesses along in an effort to finish.
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| Cebu Capitol Building |
But my heart soared with pride when this girl, who we've had the privilege to get to know and shelter from the threats of her notorious trafficker, pointed her finger and held her head high. My heart soared when she told us, a few days previous, how determined she was to fight the case, because she didn't want anyone else to have to go through what she had been through. She didn't want anyone else to experience the fear and anxiety, the abuse that she had lived through, first as a victim of trafficking, and then as one who had to seek safety in a witness protection program because of the on-going threats she recieved. My heart soared with thanksgiving for the bravery of this girl, and the opportunity to help her fight.
Thank you to everyone who supports us, for giving her the opportunity to fight.
Please continue to pray for her and the the others in our care who are fighting cases and standing up against those who have wronged them.
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