Alice

JUSTICE FOR AN INNOCENT CHILD

December 26th 2014 will forever be a nightmare for Alice. She was 11 years old, and her mother had just left home for work when a neighbor asked her to come to his house and help him peel some potatoes. Trusting a familiar face, she agreed and left with him. As soon as she arrived, the neighbor locked the house and sexually abused Alice, threatening to kill her if she ever told anyone about the ordeal.

Feeling confused and in pain, Alice went back home and stayed silent about what happened. But the next day, her mother noticed something wrong with the way she walked, and questioned her about why. Alice had the courage to tell her mother everything.

Alice’s mother took her to AMPATH’s Turbo Health Centre where she was treated, reported the incident to the police, and was linked to the Legal Aid Centre of Eldoret by Centre for Assault and Recovery (C-A-R-E).

As a human rights law clinic, LACE serves as a critical component to AMPATH’s care system, an onsite referral program able to respond to the legal challenges of persons infected with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and abuse

Since it was founded, LACE has represented more than 10,000 people, including Alice, who could have never afforded legal counsel on her own. LACE assigned an attorney who represented Alice in court and judgment was delivered in her favor. The perpetrator was sentenced to 10 years in prison.