IJM and Honduran Partner Obtain First Sentence in a Sexual Violence Case
Sexual Violence
After a full year of collaboration with a local partner and an Indigenous community, justice has been served for a child in a rural community in Honduras. This first conviction in a case of sexual abuse against a minor demonstrates that empowered communities can be powerful agents of change.
Emma* was only 13 years old when her uncle began sexually assaulting her, taking advantage of the fact that Emma and her three siblings were home alone, while their parents were working.
Emma's mother initially thought the uncle genuinely wanted to care for the children, but later found out that he had been sexually assaulting her daughter. She sought help from a neighbour who happened to be involved in community work led by Centro de Desarrollo Humano (Center for Human Development–CDH), IJM's partner in Honduras. The neighbour, having participated in CDH training, knew exactly what to do. She connected Emma’s mom with Maura, a trained community-based advocate.
When Maura brought up reporting the crime, Emma and her mother were unsure. They were skeptical about the justice system's ability to protect them. Yet, they decided to move forward with it, and Maura accompanied them to file a complaint with the National Police. Maura contacted a CDH lawyer to seek legal advice and offered Emma and her mom emotional support.
Nora is a member of Centro de Desarrollo Humano. She is leading the implementation of the Coordinated Community Response project in Honduras.
During last year’s training, Maura gained key knowledge that equipped her to protect women and children in her community. She learned that certain actions were considered an acts of violence under Honduran law, despite being commonly accepted among the community. She also learned how the Honduran justice system works, what institutions protect victims, and how she can emotionally support them.
Today, Emma’s case is a testament to the pivotal role of community empowerment in the protection of women and children. After filing the complaint, the perpetrator was arrested; he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Now, Emma and her siblings feel safer and other children in the community are more protected.
In regions like Honduras, IJM trains local partners, which later play a leading role in the country's program implementation. In August 2023, IJM’s program began in Honduras through the partnership with CDH, a grassroots organization with years of experience serving women, girls and rural communities.
After a series of training and forums with CDH and members of Intibucá, Community Accompaniment work was launched in the area. The Community Accompaniment is a service model aiming to improve access to justice, as well as medical services and therapy for victims of violence. Maura belongs to the Community Accompaniment model that helped Emma and her mom get justice and access those services.
Today, Emma is on the road to emotional recovery, and she expects to have some days better than others. But she also knows that reporting the man who hurt her was worth it. Thanks to her courage, she and her siblings are now safe.
This sentence has an even bigger meaning for the locals. It conveys that when the community is empowered with knowledge to stand against violence, and when local organizations are equipped to support people, aggressors are stopped, women and children receive justice, and other potential aggressors are deterred. This cycle leads to safer communities in Honduras.
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Intibucá is a rural indigenous community located 5 hours south of the Honduran capital. IJM along with its community partner, Centro de Desarrollo Humano implemented the Coordinated Community Response model to address the region’s high level of violence against women and children.