Dear Friend
"When faced with the decision of ‘reveal your name or risk your abuser [escaping accountability]’ – survivors are forced to make a life-or-death decision. . . . A decision that no court should force a survivor to make."
This is what nearly 100 survivors said in a National Declaration last week.
The Declaration was issued following a disturbing ruling in the NCOSE Law Center’s case against Nevada brothels: departing from established legal precedent, a judge told our survivor client that she must reveal her name to the public or her lawsuit would be tossed out.
Our survivor client, Jane Doe, alleges that she was sex trafficked in legal Nevada brothels. Upon escaping, Jane bravely decided to sue the brothels who trafficked her – including one run at the time by a county official – and the government entities that enabled them.
As is common practice with sex trafficking survivors, she sought court protection by requesting pseudonymity and a protective order. This would mean that, although the defendants would have full access to her name and information so they could prepare their case, she would be protected from this information being made known to the public.
This was incredibly important for Jane Doe’s safety, especially given the risk to her from sex buyers, including one who had already tried to track her down. Further, the defendants in the case (i.e. her alleged traffickers) had transparently threatened to retaliate against her by shaming her in the media.
Yet bafflingly, the court refused Jane Doe protection.
This ruling threatens not only Jane Doe, but survivors across the country. How will they feel safe to pursue charges against their abusers, if the courts won’t offer them basic protection?
That’s why survivors are rallying together to voice their concern in a National Declaration. Will you stand with them and show your support?
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Share this podcast episode on social media to raise awareness about the egregious injustice Jane Doe is facing
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The NCOSE Law Center is appealing this decision and will continue to fight hard for justice for Jane Doe. We represent Jane Doe and all our survivor clients free of charge, so your support is a big part of what makes lawsuits like this possible.
Please consider becoming a monthly donor to the NCOSE Law Center, to enable pro-bono legal representation for survivors.
