A story of renewed courage from “Saving Innocence”
Saving Innocence supports many youth who have to testify against their traffickers. One young woman flew back into California to testify after she had moved out of the area where she was exploited. She called her advocate when she landed and sounded so nervous. The last time she was in the LA area was when she was pregnant, and still being exploited by her trafficker. Here’s how her advocate told the story:
“We ended up meeting at the District Attorney’s office to go over her testimony. When I got there, we both lit up as if we were long lost friends, and in a way, we were. We talked the entire nine months she was gone, and she even called me when she was in labor with her child. The District Attorney then reviewed the process. She was nervous and held my hand the whole time. The next day was the day of the trial, and she would not walk into the courthouse without me. The feeling of knowing that I gave her support in one of the scariest times of her life was one of the most fulfilling things. Even I was nervous, so I could only imagine how she felt. I had my Giving Keys around my neck – one that said ‘powerful’ and one that said ‘human.’ I gave them both to her for her to have on the stand, so that she would remember that she is a POWERFUL HUMAN for being able to say what really happened to her in her life. She was the bravest girl up on the stand, and I was so proud of her.”
We partner with Saving Innocence to support their advocacy services. Through the support of Saving Innocence, survivors like this young woman are able to form the type of safe relationships that give them the courage to stand up to their traffickers in court. Learn more about Saving Innocence here, and be part of our impact this year by being a part of Dressember 2018.
