Gender Equality Cambodia Project #5863

Healing for Victims of Assault and Trafficking

by Lotus Outreach

Project Report | Jul 11, 2022
Thida's Story

By Raksmey Var | Country Representative

Thida with the frogs

CW: Sexual Assault

Thida* is 16 years old. She lives with her mother, sister, and brother. Her mother is a farmer who raises frogs for a living. In late 2021, her father was sentenced to prison for smuggling migrants across the Khmer-Thai border. Since he has been in prison, her mother has had to work very hard to earn money to support the whole family, including school fees for her three children and taking care of their grandmother who is sick. Even through these challenges, their mother is dedicated to keeping her kids in school.

In March of this year, Thida was riding on a motorbike from her rural home to school in town. Thida recounts that the bike suddenly stopped running. She was quite far from home or a mechanic and didn’t know what to do. She said an old man saw her and told her to walk the motorbike to the mechanic shop. He pointed her in the direction of a short cut. Thida began walking and before long another man approached her offering to help. He told Thida that they could pull her motorbike behind his with a rope and said he could take her into town to get a rope. Thida got on the bike but instead of heading to town, he drove them to a secluded area where he proceeded to rape her. He told her to keep quiet or he would kill her.

After this, he brought her back to the village, warning her not to speak out to anyone. He added, “If you tell your mother or report to the police, I will kill you”. When Thida arrived home, she immediately told her mother about the man abusing her. The mother took her to the village chief and they contacted the village police.

Her case was referred to CTC for legal counseling. The legal staff worked with the police post to file an official complaint to the Provincial Police Commissariat. Thida was accompanied by staff for a forensic exam and the police began the search for the perpetrator. The legal staff will continue to work with the police and with Thida and her family to reach justice.

Additionally, reintegration staff visited her family in order to offer some support and counseling. The staff found her family to be in a very challenging financial situation and began providing basic needs. The project staff continues to visit Thida at home in the hopes that she has the support to continue in her studies.

Thida is now in grade 11. She said, “My mother wants me to be a policewoman in the future, so I won't give up. Thank you for helping my family and encouraging me to keep moving forward.”

Stories like Thida’s are heartbreaking. We hope that through offering support we can work to slowly change the societal structures that allow such injustices to be perpetrated. Thank you for supporting LO.

*Thida is a name given by the writer. Her real name is hidden to protect her privacy in accordance with the child protection policy of CWCC.

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Mar 11, 2022
March Update from the Field

By Raksmey Var | Country Representative

Consoling through Counseling and Reintegration offers counseling services to survivors of abuse and sexual assualt with the aim of eventually supporting them to reintegrate into their communities after a period of healing, support and skills training undertaken at the shelter. CTC is still working with challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic but has remained dedicated to providing these crucial and life changing services. Because of the pandemic and government restrictions it was harder to reach survivors than normal, but even still in 2021 and into 2022, the shelter is providing housing, support and counseling to 23 survivors and 12 relatives.

In addition to counseling services, both in groups and one on one, those staying in the shelter are trained in sewing and souvenir making. Skills training courses are facilitated to provide a creative outlet and healing to victims as they process their experiences and hopefully move towards reintegration. By taking courses during their stay at the shelter, survivors gain the skills to start a business or find employment and earn a wage once they are ready to reintegrate into their communities.

Reintegration officers were also able to conduct 18 family assessments before accompanying survivors back home or to their chosen places. Reintegration assessments aim to ensure that survivors and their families will have the means to return home safely and without risk. After reintegration, families also recieve life start-up support that includes food, kitchen utensils, a sleeping net and mat, and blankets. During this period, reintegration officers also conducted follow-up visits to 26 reintegrated survivors to learn about their living situation, income generation activities, and social relationships with other community members, their children’s education, and physical and emotional health since returning home. We are happy to report that all 26 of these survivors was successfully reintegrated.

Beginning in 2021, in addition to counseling and reintegration support, CTC has been able to add the routine provision of legal assistance to survivors in the safe shelter. This is a huge support for the women and girls residing in the shelter- as they recover and heal from their trauma, legal assistance works to hold their abusers accountable and ensure that they re-integrate into a safe environment. During this period, there were 53 clients who received legal counseling. Of these, 14 cases resulted in court filings, 7 cases moved forward with examinations, and 4 cases resulted in mediation outside of the court.

None of this crucial support for survivors would be possible without your generous support, especially during this stressful and most difficult time. Thank you.

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Nov 11, 2021
Sreyneang's Story

By Raksmey Var | Country Representative

CW: Story contains recounts of Sexual Assualt.

In the last 3 months, 21 survivors and 2 relatives received legal counseling through CTC. Legal counseling services are an important resource for survivors to feel empowered in taking on their cases with a supportive and knowledgable team to help them through the process. In offering these services, we hope to break the stigma surrounding sexual assault and abuse and hold perpetrators accountable for their offenses.

Sreyneang is 14 years old, living in Banteay Meanchey Province. She is the eldest in her family of six siblings, and only attended school through sixth grade. Sreyneang lives with her aunt and uncle, as her mother does labor work in Thailand to support the family. One day, when Sreyneang was at home, her Uncle came into her room. He sexually assaulted her, telling her that he loved her and would buy her things as long as she didn’t tell anyone.

Sreyneang’s Aunt saw her husband as he was leaving Sreyneang's room and immediately asked what he had been doing in his niece’s room. He said he had gone to check on Sreyneang and dismissed his wife’s questions. Not trusting his answers, she went to Sreyneang and asked her what had happened. Sreyneang told her aunt the truth. Her aunt was upset and went to complain to the authorities immediately. Her uncle was arrested and sent to the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Police.

Sreyneang was brought to the CTC safe shelter by her aunt and social workers to consult with the program's legal aid officer. She decided to stay in the shelter with the consent of her aunt in order to continue the case. The legal aid officer, in cooperation with the police and a lawyer, filed a complaint with the court. Currently, Sreyneang is waiting for a summons to the court, where her case will be heard. Until then, she will continue to stay in the shelter, where she receives counseling and support from peers and staff. Through group and individual therapy and making meaningful connections with friends who have gone through similarly challenging experiences, the shelter has proved a supportive space for Sreyneang’s healing.

Thank you for supporting CTC. We are committed to supporting survivors to heal and move forward.

*Sreyneang is a name given by the writer to protect identity of the survivor.

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