On March 29th and 30th 2022, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the groundbreaking case of Brisa De Angulo Losada vs. Bolivia

Background:

• On March 29th and 30th 2022, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the groundbreaking case of Brisa De Angulo Losada vs. Bolivia.
• The case has been so damning of the Bolivian government’s inaction that there have been threats to Brisa’s person, her family, doxxing of her private information and character assassination strategies to try and get her to drop the case.
• This week, Bolivia announced approval of new legislation for the protection of child victims of sexual violence that includes significant reforms aimed at reducing impunity and revictimization.
• Bolivian President Luis Arce’s statement on the new legislation can be viewed here

Statement by Brisa de Angulo, lawyer, child psychologist, human right activist and human rights defender:

JULY 11, 2022 – “In 2002, I was repeatedly raped and tortured by an adult family member. When I sought justice and support from the Bolivian government, I was failed by a judicial system which protects perpetrators and cements a culture of impunity. It was government officials who committed the most horrific acts of revictimization that I suffered.

But today, Bolivia has taken action to protect the children and adolescents who experience sexual violence in our country. This new law reduces the probability of the atorcous abuses of official capacity that I suffered in my case, and it creates clear mechanisms for holding government officials accountable. After almost twenty years of fighting for justice, I am so humbled to be part of this first and great step on the path to policy reform and justice for all of us.

This new legislation breaks new ground here in Bolivia. Now the Inter-American court must take the lead and act to ensure similar and even more extensive law and policy reform – and justice – for all children in the region.”

Statement by Bolivian Senator Andrea Barrientos:

“One of the most important aspects of this law is that the crime of rape against an infant, child, or adolesent is no long subject to a statute of limitations. This is of fundamental importance because, sadly, when a person suffers rape in childhood or adolescense, it takes a long time to denouce the crime because denouncing implies a process of profound healing.”

We’re dealing with an issue of International Human Rights. The Bolivian government, just a while back, lost a case involving that girl Brisa from Cochabamba. She is a victim of estupro and rape, and this iconic case has made us see that we have the duty to develop better protection policies immediately.”

“This effort is advancing in a meaningful and important way. It’s the first time the legislative branch is developing legislation with total consensus and unanimous agreement from both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, as well as with the full collaboration of the three branches of government.”

Please contact press@bravenewsroom.org for interviews with Brisa and other members of the Brave Movement.

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