Helena* and Wilma,* Guatemalan sisters of ages eight and 11, suffered profound betrayal at the hands of their mother. She prostituted her children, selling them to multiple men to be raped and profiting from the abuse.

The Guatemalan National Commission Against Child Abuse referred Helena and Wilma’s case to IJM. It was obvious from the outset that prosecuting the perpetrators in this case would be a difficult task. Despite changing attitudes toward the seriousness of sexual abuse in the country, this type of case remains under-prosecuted in Guatemala and perpetrators have traditionally received light sentences or been set free. Complicating the process of prosecuting these offenses was a Guatemalan law dictating that the trial for each individual who had violated the girls take place in the venue where the abuse occurred. The difficulty their case would entail notwithstanding, IJM Guatemala accepted, knowing that Helena and Wilma deserved justice.

IJM investigators worked with local police to track down and document evidence against each of the four perpetrators in the case – the girls’ mother and the three men she sold her daughters to. IJM investigators then worked with police to coordinate the arrests of the perpetrators and to locate and ensure the cooperation of witnesses.

IJM staff also worked to ensure that the girls received the medical and psychological care they needed, arranging for appointments with doctors and counselors. After their mother’s abuse was discovered, the girls’ father and stepmother received custody of them. Moving to a loving home with supportive parents was an extremely important step in the sisters’ recovery. When their father faced threats and intimidation at the family’s home as the case progressed, IJM helped the family move to a home in a new location, away from those who would attempt to intimidate them.

This summer, after over a year’s work on the case, IJM Guatemala won convictions of all four perpetrators.

Wilma and Helena’s mother was sentenced to 14 years in prison for pimping her daughters. Each of the men who raped them received sentences ranging from 16 to 20 years in prison. One case, tried in Jutiapa, more than three hours distance from IJM’s offices in Guatemala City, resulted in a 16-year conviction for one of the men guilty of violating the sisters. Despite an appeal from the perpetrator, the sentence was upheld, demonstrating a strong judicial commitment to treat these cases seriously.

Though there is no way to undo the terrible abuse Helena and Wilma suffered, the love, support and stability they experience in their father and stepmother’s home have helped them heal. Their stepmother treats the girls as her own daughters and has been a fierce advocate of their right to justice in the aftermath of their mother’s abuse. She and their father have created a strong support system for the girls as they have courageously testified against their abusers in court. The sisters are both receiving counseling to help them recover from the trauma of their abuse and are responding well. Helena recently told IJM staff in Guatemala, “When I grow up, I want to be a lawyer so I can help others.”