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ABOUT INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual

exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals

work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators

and to promote functioning public justice systems.

Geral dine ’s Stor y -

KENYA

Six-year-old Geraldine* was walking

along a familiar trail to her mother’s

grocery stand when a neighbor from

her village grabbed her and sexually

assaulted her. In the aftermath of the

abuse, the perpetrator threatened

to kill Geraldine’s mother when she

confronted him. When she reported

the crime to police, they suggested

she simply take some money from

the man.

But IJM’s team of legal professionals

committed to fight alongside Geraldine’s

family, and Geraldine’s rapist

was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The village held a celebration for the

successful perpetrator accountability,

during which one of the village

elders told IJM staff, “I see now that

we have expected too little for ourselves.

We did not think justice was

possible. We will not make that mistake

again.”

Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is a pervasive form of violent oppression that is both a human rights

violation and a major health risk factor. This broad category of crimes is defined by sexual

contact or attempted sexual contact without meaningful consent. These crimes include

rape, trafficking into commercial sexual exploitation and other forms of sexual abuse

or exploitation.

In countries with weak public justice systems, victims of sexual violence often face major

structural obstacles to justice, including lack of medical forensic capacity to document

proof of abuse. Additionally, victims of sexual violence frequently face cultural or social

stigmas that can discourage them from reporting the crime. Although anyone can be

the victim of sexual violence, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to these forms

of abuse.

The Facts

• In some countries, up to one third of adolescent girls report that

their first sexual experience was forced. (World Health Organization)

• At least one out of every three women in the world has been

raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise violently abused

in her lifetime. (U.N. Development Fund for Women)

• An estimated one in five women will be a victim of rape or

attempted rape in her lifetime. (U.N. Millennium Project)

IJM’s Res ponse

IJM conducts casework on behalf of child victims of rape and other forms of sexual

violence, and on behalf of women and children victimized by sex trafficking. IJM staff

investigate case referrals and collaborate with local officials to secure evidence, rescue

victims from situations of ongoing abuse and prosecute perpetrators. IJM ensures that

victims of these crimes have access to aftercare services, which provide emotional and

physical support for victims and their families.

IJM also works to transform justice systems to prevent vulnerable people from future

victimization by providing training, modeling and direct assistance to local police,

prosecutors and other public justice professionals to build capacity within local systems

to respond to these crimes. IJM has also hosted forensics trainings for medical

professionals, enabling these “first-responders,” to care for victims with sensitivity and

professional excellence.