"Stories of Resilience #1 ︱ "Nobody Does Anything" — the Pain of a father whose daughter was the victim of a gang rape

Unlike other days, that Tuesday morning seemed quieter. The counselors’ shift had just changed, and the office had come alive with that familiar energy — of care, composure, and attentiveness — that fills every corner of the small space of the Women’s and Girls’ Trust Line. A call from that morning was about to leave a deep mark on us and stay with us for a long time.

On the other end of the line was M.’s father, desperate, searching for justice for his daughter. “Nobody does anything. Please, help us,” he told us, his voice trembling. M. was his only daughter. Young, with big dreams — dreams that were shattered that morning. She had just regained consciousness. Not on the night of the rape, when fragments of the events had slipped from memory, but in the morning, when the cruel reality revealed itself in all its pain, and a profound numbness took over her body, as if time had stopped and her world had ceased to exist. That same day, she was hospitalized, where doctors intervened on her uterus and gynecological area, trying to ease her physical pain. We found her at the hospital. She was very weak. In our first conversation, M. could partially recount what had happened to her. She felt a deep shame in recalling that night which had completely changed her life. With the support of our lawyer and psychologist, we stood by her. In that state of helplessness and weakness, lying in her hospital bed, she still couldn’t argue or resist, but she felt — perhaps for the first time — that she was not alone. Right there, in the hospital ward, on that same day, the first legal hearings took place in the presence of specialists. Afterward, M. continued her rehabilitation, while we worked in offices to defend her interests and seek justice for her. What followed was a time full of trials, with difficult days and nights where fear and shame seemed endless — but also with moments when courage began to sprout. The lawyer stood by her at every step — at the police station, during hearings, in court sessions — driven by the will to defend her rights and to assure her that justice exists. The psychologist walked the same path, guiding her through her family’s resistance and her own fears, helping her to regain confidence and rebuild the fragments of broken relationships. Along the way, hidden vulnerabilities surfaced, making her feel even more ashamed and silent. And as every journey is filled with challenges, the greatest one in this story was for her to believe that her family could accept her, in a small community where everyone already knew the horror of that night. The challenges, however, kept coming. On one hand, she was the daughter of two teachers, raised in an educated, respectful family; on the other, the perpetrators came from influential backgrounds — people with authority, capable of shaping decisions and altering important processes. As the obstacles that seemed insurmountable grew, so did the strength of our team’s actions. Our support continued until the sentence was pronounced, when the court convicted all the perpetrators who had taken part in her ordeal.

Some time after assisting M. and her father, another young woman came to our attention: A., who, like M., had been the victim of rape — this time by someone she trusted. A. had thought more than once about ending her life; she no longer had the strength to be strong for herself. When asked what had made her speak out loud about what she was going through, A. told us that after the rape, she had discovered on social media the account of another young woman who knew, from her own experience, what rape, shame, and blame felt like. She had received all the encouragement she needed.

Sometimes, our role goes beyond the label of “protocol specialists.” We become that invisible shoulder that gives strength to a heart to keep going.

If you are a victim of abuse or know someone who is, call the Women’s and Girls’ Trust Line – 0 8008 8008. Help is always near, free, and confidential.