Healing for Victims of Assault and Trafficking

CW: Sexual Assualt, Domestic Violence

CTC provides residential housing, counseling and support, legal assistance and eventual reintegration services to female survivors who have experienced domestic violence, trafficking, sexual abuse or exploitation. The program works to ensure the wellbeing of survivors as they heal and process their experiences, and eventually reintegrate back into their communities. 

• Providing individual counseling sessions and facilitating group discussions and activities to empower young survivors of physical, sexual and/or psychological violence (including battery and rape, incest, sexual exploitation and sexual harassment) to process their traumas, regain confidence and find their sense of self;
• Enabling women and girl survivors to shed their sense of shame and guilt, often related to abuse and sexual exploitation in Cambodia, and to clearly see themselves as survivors, not victims.
• Offering legal support to survivors who are pressing charges against the abusers.
• Facilitating the return of female survivors and their relatives to their home communities or other places they choose to go through community and family assessment, reintegration and follow-up visit.

Pov is one of CTC's most recent clients. Her story contains sexual assault and physical violence. 

Pov is 14 years old, studying in the 7th grade. She is the second child of 4 siblings. Her parents separated in 2020, and Pov and her siblings stayed with their mother, but in 2021, her mother decided to go to Thailand for work and the 4 siblings went to live with their father. At first things were okay, Pov was enrolled in school and doing well. But then Pov noticed her father changing, and he frequently cursed her and her siblings. 

One night, Pov had returned from a visit with her relatives, when her father asked her to sleep with him. She said no, after which he beat her and proceeded to rape her. He threatened to murder her if she told anybody. She remained silent and continued to live with her father and siblings.

In 2022, Pov's father sold his house and they all moved into a rented room. One day, Pov returned from school and again her father asked her to sleep with him, but she declined, he twisted her arm but nothing more. Some time later, she was getting ready for school when her father approached, ripped off her clothing and raped her again.   

After getting back from her job in Thailand, Pov's mother contacted her younger siblings and invited them to come see her at their uncle’s house. At this time, their mother inquired as to whether their father had ever hit them. Her brother said not only did he hit them but he had also raped Pov. Her mother immediately called to ask Pov if she had been sexually assaulted by the father. Pov told her mother what had happened and was taken to the Police Station to lodge a report. After questioning her, the police detained her father and handed him over to the Police so they could file charges against him.

Pov was sent to the Hospital for a forensic exam after which the Department of Social Affairs referred her to our Safe Shelter to receive support and further legal assistance. After the consultation, Pov asked to return home and wait for the court proceedings. The CTC is in close contact with her to provide emotional and mental support, as well as legal counseling until her case is resolved. Thank you for supporting CTC to provide crucial support and resources for survivors of violence and abuse.