INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION
Recently, I talked with individuals who attend a Christian church in Roanoke, VA, which is actively involved in supporting International Justice Mission, and I became interested in spreading awareness about this commendable orgnization. The following information is taken directly from the website, IJM.org. I hope many will visit this link and look at the daring work they do to abort heinous crimes including sexual trafficing and slavery.
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.
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 Response
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.