Rape survivor wins case against ‘cruel and inhumane’ state of Bolivia

An international court found that Brisa De Angulo, who was abused at 15, had her rights violated during the judicial process

In a historic verdict, Brisa De Angulo, a rape survivor and campaigner for child victims of sexual abuse, has won a groundbreaking case against the state of Bolivia.

The inter-American court of human rights ruling found the Bolivian government to be “internationally responsible” for violating De Angulo’s rights when she was unable to find justice in the country’s courts when, aged 15, she was repeatedly raped over a period of months by a relative. It had failed to prevent, address, punish, and redress the sexual and institutional violence which she suffered, it said.