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Granted Asylum: A Ray of Hope for Refugees, Survivors and Victims |
The New York Immigration Court just granted asylum on August 13, 2010 to one of our
clients, a young woman fleeing a forced marriage in her native
Guatemala.
Sofia* was only 13 years old when her father and grandfather
ordered her to live with her 26 year old former second grade teacher as
his wife. The teacher had been visiting Sofia and sending her letters in
an attempt to convince her to be his girlfriend. Sofia was
frightened but did not know what to do to put a stop to his pursuit of
her. When her family found out that the teacher had been sending Sofia
letters, and that rumors had spread in their village that Sofia and the
teacher were dating, her father and grandfather told her she must go
live with the teacher to keep from bringing shame to the family.
Though Sofia did not want to live with this man, she knew that no one in
her village, including the police, would defy her family's wishes and
help her. By moving in with the teacher, she was considered his wife in
rural Guatemalan custom. Once Sofia was in his home, the teacher raped
her repeatedly, refused to let her see her friends and family or
continue going to school, and verbally abused her whenever she was
"disobedient."
Sofia was required to perform domestic labor for the
teacher and his parents and work in the family business. She endured
this sexual and domestic slavery for two years before finally finding an
opportunity to escape. Her family in Guatemala had already refused to
help her escape the teacher's abuse, so she fled to the U.S. to be free
from the forced marriage... |
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