Care2 member? Log in

Justice for Linda

Target: Omar Mora Diaz, President of the Supreme Tribunal for Justice; Edith Silva, DP Attorney for Women's Issues; Isaias Rodriguez, Attorney General of the Republic
Sponsored by: International Planned Parenthood Federation

Linda Loaiza's waking nightmare began 4 years ago at the age of 18 when she was kidnapped, held prisoner in her attacker's home, and repeatedly raped, beaten and tortured. She was finally rescued by Venezuelan police 4 months later.

Demand Justice!

But Linda's suffering didn't end with her rescue. After waiting 3 years for a trial, the court set a trial date only AFTER Linda resorted to holding a 2-week hunger strike on the steps of the Supreme Court to raise media awareness of her plight. Amazingly, the judge appointed to the case let her attacker (the son of a very influential Venezuelan man) go free, citing a lack of evidence despite the fact that Linda was rescued from his apartment and he had been previously arrested for attacking another woman in 1999.

Linda's experience is deeply disturbing - both for the violence she suffered and for the corruption and the injustice she has faced in her quest to put her attacker behind bars where he can't hurt her or others. Linda's story is representative of the immense difficulty faced by women in many parts of the world when they seek justice in the face of violence and abuse.

It's been many months and Linda is still awaiting a trial date. Please don't let the Venezuelan justice system drag their feet any longer or deny Linda justice once again!

Demand Justice for Linda - send a letter asking key Venezuelan officials to ensure a timely and fair trial.

deadline: 7-27-2006
goal: 10,000

10,863
signatures!

Sign Petition! see who signed this

log in
This petition has been closed. see more petitions

To:
* Attorney General of the Republic, Isaias Rodriguez
* DP Attorney for Women's Issues, Edith Silva
* President of the Supreme Tribunal for Justice, Omar Mora Diaz

I am writing to ask you to do whatever is in your power to ensure that justice is served in Linda Loaiza's case against Luis Carrera Almoina, the man accused of kidnapping, raping, and torturing her for four months in 2001. I am also asking for your help to ensure that, unlike Mr. Carrera Almoina's first trial in 2004, this trial will be both just and free from irregularities of all kinds.

As a signatory of international human rights agreements, including the Convention of Belem do Para and the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man regulated by the Organization of American States, the Venezuelan government guarantees every woman "the right to simple and prompt recourse to a competent court for protection against acts that violate her rights," and agrees to "undertake to establish the necessary legal and administrative mechanisms to ensure that women subjected to violence have effective access to restitutions, reparations or other just and effective remedies."

This has certainly not been true for Linda Loaiza thus far. I urge you to do your duty -- and to do what is right -- to ensure a swift and fair trial, free from irregularities of any kind.

"Simple," "prompt," and "just" -- I look to you to turn these lofty words into concrete realities for Linda Loaiza, a truly courageous woman who has suffered injustice at the hands of both her attacker and, up to now, the Venezuelan judicial system.

Thank you for your efforts to ensure that justice is finally served in this case.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

We signed the “Justice for Linda” petition!

# 50:

3:57 pm PDT, Aug 2, Sam Larkin, Louisiana

# 49:

3:57 pm PDT, Aug 2, Sharon Kelly, New York
Let us all raise our voices and use our power on behalf of those who can not defend themselves. Stop the oppression.

# 48:

3:56 pm PDT, Aug 2, Harriet Rhodes, Connecticut

# 47:

3:56 pm PDT, Aug 2, Jennifer VanSchoyck, Ohio
Linda deserves her abuser to be brought to justice. Set the date!

# 46:

3:54 pm PDT, Aug 2, Chris Harvey, New York
defend the vulnerable, punish the lawless, respect the women, show us you care.

# 45:

3:53 pm PDT, Aug 2, Karen Hancock, Colorado

# 44:

3:52 pm PDT, Aug 2, Rosemary Moser, Vermont
Linda deseerves to know that the one who made her life a living hell does not ahve a chance to do it again to her or any other woman.

# 43:

3:51 pm PDT, Aug 2, Ricardo Cottrell, Washington

# 42:

3:51 pm PDT, Aug 2, Shalina Spurlock, Delaware
No tenemos tiempo para esperar la justicia que es necesaria en este caso. Si permitimos la violaci�n en este manera de una mujer, el indice de mujeres violadas va a subir sin limites.

# 41:

3:47 pm PDT, Aug 2, Maritza Cruz-Taylor, Florida
It is unbelieavable that we as women have to live this horror stories day in and day out and our governments allow this horrendous acts to go on unpunished. It is a shame for governments anywhere to allow this atrocities to continue. How would they like it if it was their mothers, sisters, daughters.....It is very sad...

# 40:

3:44 pm PDT, Aug 2, Randy Thill, Arizona
How can a woman who has been so badly traumatized comfortably go out of her home knowing the same guy can be waiting right there for her,him knowing there is no punishment for such horrible actions as he is want to do? Please take him to court so he is aware of the true consequences of rape and abuse.

# 39:

3:43 pm PDT, Aug 2, Name not displayed, Wisconsin

# 38:

3:39 pm PDT, Aug 2, Barbara Hobbs, North Carolina

# 37:

3:37 pm PDT, Aug 2, Susan Vanmeter, West Virginia

# 36:

3:35 pm PDT, Aug 2, Maureen Murdock, New Mexico

# 35:

3:35 pm PDT, Aug 2, Christine Rose, Connecticut

# 34:

3:35 pm PDT, Aug 2, Name not displayed, Illinois

# 33:

3:30 pm PDT, Aug 2, Lyn Z, Florida

# 32:

3:26 pm PDT, Aug 2, Sara Monterroso, Colorado

# 31:

3:15 pm PDT, Aug 2, Betty Gregory, Indiana

# 30:

3:12 pm PDT, Aug 2, Name not displayed, California
Unbelievable that this man can still buy his way out.

# 29:

3:09 pm PDT, Aug 2, Princessanna8@yahoo.com Hessel, Illinois
blessings

# 28:

3:07 pm PDT, Aug 2, Name not displayed, California

# 27:

3:04 pm PDT, Aug 2, Jessie Cross, Italy

# 26:

3:04 pm PDT, Aug 2, Kathryn Pepper, North Carolina

# 25:

3:02 pm PDT, Aug 2, Terry O'Neal, Virginia

# 24:

3:01 pm PDT, Aug 2, Name not displayed, Texas

# 23:

3:01 pm PDT, Aug 2, David Kunen, Pennsylvania
You should get on the ball and protect your citizens from harm's way especially your most vulnerable citizens.

# 22:

2:58 pm PDT, Aug 2, Angelika Tanha, Germany
Very cruel and inhumane! She deserves justice in every way! I pray for her!

# 21:

2:52 pm PDT, Aug 2, James Jindracek, Rhode Island

# 20:

2:48 pm PDT, Aug 2, Joyce Mulazzi, Georgia

# 19:

2:45 pm PDT, Aug 2, John Al, Finland
She deserve justice and care!

# 18:

2:36 pm PDT, Aug 2, Olivia Arner, Ohio

# 17:

2:32 pm PDT, Aug 2, Charlene Shumate, Arkansas
We demand justice for this woman. The man who abused her is mentally ill and will do the same thing to another woman. Put him away NOW!

# 16:

2:25 pm PDT, Aug 2, Amber Sanborn, California

# 15:

2:23 pm PDT, Aug 2, Pat Donald, United Kingdom

# 14:

2:18 pm PDT, Aug 2, Wanda Cooper, Colorado
Abuse is abuse no matter where it is happening, if more women were making decisions in other countries as well as the US, we may see things changing. As long as we have men running the show this will not stop, the protect each other at all costs, including a woman's life. Men, wake up and see that when you hurt another regardless if they are male or female you hurt yourself and society. Stop.......end of story........just stop.

# 13:

1:55 pm PDT, Aug 2, Kathleen M. Doyle, Minnesota
All people who abuse others deserve to be sent to prison. No matter what country these people live in, they need to be held accountable. There is no acception to this. Being raped, tortured, or abused in any other way is wrong. End of discussion. What would you do if it was your sister, daughter, mother or someone you loved?

# 12:

1:52 pm PDT, Aug 2, Lisa Volz, Pennsylvania

# 11:

1:46 pm PDT, Aug 2, Anna M-G, United Kingdom

# 10:

1:19 pm PDT, Aug 2, Ann Brown, Oregon

# 9:

12:56 pm PDT, Aug 2, Timothy Brown, Washington

# 8:

12:53 pm PDT, Aug 2, Ashley Harr, Connecticut

# 7:

12:46 pm PDT, Aug 2, Monica Mijares DeCuir, California

# 6:

12:34 pm PDT, Aug 2, Shane Wilson, Tennessee

# 5:

11:55 am PDT, Aug 2, Pam Boland, Georgia

# 4:

11:17 am PDT, Aug 2, Karla Garcia, Colorado

# 3:

11:00 am PDT, Aug 2, Glenda Winspear, Canada
It doesn't matter WHO the person is...justice is EQUAL under the law! Unless, of course, you're rich and you can BUY justice. If you're the VICTIM, well, tough luck. What's wrong with this? Come on, People, wrong is wrong no matter who or how much money you've got!!

# 2:

9:38 am PDT, Aug 2, Kim Bainbridge, United Kingdom
What this women went through is disturbing and what is even worse is that justice is not being done! She deserves to feel safe!

# 1:

10:51 am PDT, Jul 28, Rebecca Young, California
Linda Loaiza has been tortured and raped, yet the Venezuelan justice system has refused to grant her justice by bringing her attacker to trial. Linda's horrible situation is all too familiar to women around the world - and such denial of justice to victims of violence must end. Linda deserves justice.

View Signatures:
|<
<
10,866
10,800
10,750
...
150
100
50
>
>|

Justice for Linda

This petition has been closed.