After ten months of waiting, 13-year-old JT did not think justice would prevail in her sexual and gender-based violence case. However, in May 2023, justice was served, with a 58-year-old man sent to jail for 18 years for violently defiling JT on her way to a market to buy food.

In August 2022, the USAID ECAP III program under CIDRZ, through its comprehensive family support approach, learned of JT’s defilement story, which left her traumatised while her parents living with HIV in Linda compound of Chilanga district in Lusaka province, struggled to pursue justice on the perpetrator.

It all happened in August 2022, when JT, a grade seven pupil from Linda Open School, was sent to a nearby market called Malupili within her neighbourhood by her parents to buy some food around 18hrs. Consequently, on her way to the market, she met an elderly man from the same neighbourhood who dragged her to a nearby bush where he defiled her, leaving her traumatised with serious injuries on her body.

Despite informing her parents about the unfortunately, they felt challenged to pursue the case any further. However, when this information reached USAID ECAP III district leadership, they immediately initiated the process of helping JT access the needed help and support using the case conferencing model.

The team reviewed and discussed the details from the case conferencing exercise, which was done in collaboration with other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, the Zambia police, and the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA). Each stakeholder played a key role in their specific areas of work, while the USAID ECAP III facilitated and provided the overall coordination of JT’s case.

The support provided helped JT’s family to pursue the case and testify in court, where justice finally prevailed in favour of JT in May 2023, with the perpetrator receiving an 18-year sentence with hard labour, sending a strong message to any other would-be perpetrators of GBV.

Meanwhile, the parents of JT expressed happiness for the support rendered in ensuring that justice was served for their child. “Without USAID ECAP III coordinated support, we wouldn’t have managed to pursue this case on our own. Thank you so much.” Said JT’s Mother.

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