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First Person: "I know things can be different – people who suffer can be helped. Because it was possible; it is possible."

By Pablo Villeda, Director, IJM Guatemala

Early in 2005 I was invited to a meeting with some of IJM’s leaders, who shared about their plan to establish an office in my home, Guatemala City, where I worked as a private attorney and served as a board member in a local lawyers’ organization. IJM was interested in our perspective on their plan to focus on Guatemala’s children and the epidemic of sexual violence they faced.

After the meeting, I thought, “I like those people and their organization. What they want to do is noble – but I don’t know if it’s going to work.” The challenges just seemed too great. The Guatemalan justice system was profoundly crippled by continuous military regimes and the longest civil conflict in the post-Cold War era, as well as a weak advocacy system that left victims with poor representation in legal proceedings. The conditions were extremely conducive to the abuse of the poor – and incredibly difficult in which to ensure they received justice.

But by January 2007, those ambitious lawyers had won me over. I joined International Justice Mission as the director of IJM Guatemala. I was convinced and encouraged, but nervous. We had a lot of work ahead of us.

Joining The Fight

Two years have passed, and this is what I have seen:

  • 50% of all arrests in cases of sexual violence against children in the last two years in Guatemala City were facilitated by our small IJM team.
  • The IJM Guatemala team has been able to execute 90% of arrest warrants under our responsibility – compared with a rate of 20% executed in the country.
  • 50% of all convictions in cases of sexual violence against children in the last two years in Guatemala City have been made with IJM assistance.

These are not just numbers. Each number has a story, a name, a face, hopes and dreams.

Justice For Maite

Top:Pablo Villeda has led the IJM Guatemala team since 2007
Bottom:In a joyful reunion, Maite (right) meets the family she never knew she had. (Her face has been blurred to protect her identity.)

Our client Maite* reminds me of this. Orphaned as an infant, Maite was entrusted to a family friend, who had promised to care for the girl. That promise was broken. Maite was physically and sexually abused, and treated like a slave. When I met Maite, I saw that her arms were marked with scars from the frequent beatings she received.

A neighbor discovered the abuse, informed IJM and arranged a secret meeting between Maite and Miriam, an IJM Guatemala social worker. After hearing Maite’s story, Miriam promised her that IJM would do everything we could to rescue her from the abusive situation. Maite later told us that from that day on, every time someone would knock at the door she ran to see if it was us.

Based on proof of abuse the team had obtained, we secured a protective order from the government. Maite’s nightmare was over. She was brought to an excellent children’s home, where she could start healing and living the life a little girl should have.

IJM obtained arrest warrants for the woman who had stolen Maite’s childhood through violent abuse and for her adult son, who had raped and abused Maite. The mother has been arrested and is awaiting trial. And as I write this, our investigator Carlos* is working diligently to locate her son, so that both of Maite’s abusers will have to answer in court for their actions against this powerless child.

UPDATE: IJM Guatemala’s investigator was able to discover that the accused perpetrator was attending classes at a local university, and after long days of surveillance, coordinated an arrest operation on the last day of the semester. With the assistance of local police and the university’s security personnel, the accused was captured and is being held without bail as Maite’s case continues.

But Maite’s story did not end there. With the relevant local officials, we worked to deter¬mine if Maite had any relatives. The Children’s Magistrate publicized a hearing and asked anyone with information on Maite’s family to attend. An elderly man came to the court¬room – he had seen Maite’s name in the announcement, and was struck by its similarity to the granddaughter he thought he had lost contact with forever. Maite had been found by her grandfather. And the biggest surprise was that he brought a girl with him – Maite’s older sister. There was great rejoicing, crying and hugging, as Maite was united with fam¬ily she never knew she had.

A Different Future

After the hearing, the judge decided that both girls would live in the children’s home. Their grandfather was so thankful; he was a very poor man and desperately wanted both Maite and her sister to have the opportunity to live in a secure and loving home where they would be able to go to school.

Today Maite has a family and a future. If she could tell you this in person, she would do so with courage and dignity. Recently, she participated in a regional speech competition on children’s human rights and won third place, and will compete on a national level.

I saw Maite’s life change. I know things can be different – people who suffer can be helped. So, I’m glad IJM didn’t say, “Forget about Maite; we can’t help her, there’s noth¬ing that can be done.” Because it was possible; it is possible.

The Fight Continues

This work can be very difficult – but what keeps me doing it is the simple assurance that God cares for those who suffer. He gives me the strength and courage to keep doing the job; he gives me the faith to be sure of what I hope for, and the certainty of what I do not see yet. I long for the chance to help many other children like Maite. I long for a justice system in my country in which prosecutors are well trained and committed to do their work, and judges respect not only the rights of those accused but also the dignity of the victims. I dream of a track record of convictions that makes abusers fear consequences of harming the powerless.

There is still a lot of work to do – and we have the opportunity to do it. The door is slightly open, and we are willing to push it hard. Thank you to all of you who financially support the work of IJM – I am so glad that you are with us pushing for justice in my home of Guatemala City.

 
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