Content Warning: This email contains details regarding one of our cases that involves sexual assault, abuse, and harrassment, as well as suicide.

Team—

On August 14th, 2020 the Inter-American Court of Human Rights released a landmark ruling in our case, Paola Guzmán Albarracín v. Ecuador.

The ruling came 18 years after Paola Guzmán Albarracín, then a 16-year-old student, died by suicide after suffering repeated sexual abuse by her school's vice-principal. The Court found that Paola's continuous abuse caused her extreme suffering and led to her death.

The decision in this case held Ecuador responsible for violating our client's rights and established the first official Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in the Classroom. While this was a historic ruling, there is still much work to be done.

Last week, on the one year anniversary of the ruling in our case, the Center, along with our partner CEPAM-Guayaquil, called on Ecuador to accelerate the implementation of human rights standards set forth by the Court and work to protect students from sexual violence and harassment in schools throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

I am incredibly grateful for your partnership as we continue the critical, hard work required to create a world where young girls and women live free from gender violence.

Today, we remember Paola and what she went through and we continue to share her story as a reminder that we must continue the fight so stories like this are not repeated.

We couldn't have gotten this far without your support. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Nancy Northup
President & CEO