Danger-to-Safety Relocation for DV Survivors

Ria first emailed our crisis email in August. She and her mother Camela were being abused in Mexico by Camela's boyfriend. When Camela met her boyfriend in the USA he was so nice. He promised a better life for Camela and her daughter in Mexico. At first everything seemed fine, but within months, her boyfriend became violent and controlling. Ria reported he and his brothers began touching her inappropriately, making rude comments. Camela was ready to do whatever it took to protect Ria. But they were isolated, he had taken and hidden their American passports, and they had no money.

Our case manager Alice began safety planning with Ria and Camela, and devised an escape plan. Her abusive boyfriend and his brothers always drank to the point of passing out on Saturday nights. We knew this would be a window of opportunity to help Camela and Ria escape. Two weeks after we first began helping them, we arranged a taxi to pick up Camela and Ria in the middle of the night and drive them to a city 100 miles away. We arranged a hotel for them while we payed to get their American passports replaced. When the passports were ready, we purchased bus tickets for them to return to the USA where we had arranged shelter for them. They are now in one year a transitional housing program and are doing very well.

Because of donations like yours, Camela and Ria can rebuild their lives without violence in the USA. You almost certainly saved Ria from sexual abuse, and also Camela from having to take drastic measures to protect her daughter.

Thank you for caring! The AODVC Team