Sofia’s Story
Sofia*, an immigrant girl from Mexico, came home one day to find her mother lying in a pool of blood, unconscious on the floor. She had been severely beaten by her husband, Sofia’s stepfather. Although Sofia’s mother had been repeatedly abused by her husband, this time it was more severe than ever before. Sofia called 911. The police and trauma team air-lifted her mother, who had sustained a serious head injury, to the hospital.
When Sofia’s mother was discharged from the hospital, mother and daughter had nowhere safe to stay, so they returned to the only home they knew. Her mother told police that she was afraid of her husband and asked them to remove him from the trailer the family shared. The police arrested Sofia’s stepfather, but he was only jailed for a month. Upon his release, he went into hiding from the police and secretly returned to the trailer. He was outraged that Sofia had called for help. In revenge, he raped her. At age 11, Sofia became pregnant.
Sofia and her mother were afraid to stay any longer. Tahirih and a team of advocates successfully arranged emergency housing for them at a secure women’s shelter, far from Sofia’s stepfather. Tahirih, with the support of Crowell & Moring, filed a U visa petition for Sofia and her mother. On November 17, 2005, it was approved. At 12 years old, Sofia gave birth to a baby girl, whom she is now raising with her mother.
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*Names have been changed to protect privacy. The photograph included here is not of Sofia. Photo by Sergio Pessolano.
