Luisa had been a victim of physical, psychological, verbal, and sexual abuse for over 15 years. She tried to leave the abusive relationship for several years but was too afraid of the many threats of retaliation from her husband not only to harm her but also to harm her family in her home country. A few months before reaching out to CasaLuz, Luisa was able to escape from her husband while he was beating her and called 911.
The responding police officers didn’t speak Spanish and didn’t try to request a bilingual officer or to use a translation device, so her husband spoke to them in English and they left. After that incident, Luisa decided not to call 911 again because it was a confirmation of what her husband had been saying to her for years – that the police wouldn’t believe her because she doesn’t have a legal status in the U.S. while he is a permanent resident. Later on, a friend gave her CasaLuz’s contact information after her husband threatened to kill her and to take her minor children away from her. She then left their house and went to her brother’s house with her children.
CasaLuz’s advocate immediately scheduled an appointment to assist her with the process of filing an order of protection. Luisa was referred for free legal civil assistance and free immigration assistance and was granted an order of protection for one year. CasaLuz’s advocate accompanied Luisa to court proceedings.
Currently, Luisa is participating in CasaLuz’s support group, and she and her children are attending individual counseling sessions at CasaLuz. She shared with CasaLuz’s advocate that finally, after many years of abuse, she is living in peace and feels a huge relief to be able to live a life without violence in her life. She now feels empowered to move on with her life because she doesn’t feel alone anymore. Luisa is very grateful for the assistance she received from CasaLuz.
Names have been changed to protect identity.
