Since 2001, Liberty Center for Survivors of Torture, a WOMEN’S WAY Community Women’s Fund grantee, has offered services for restoring hope and providing healing to over 400 torture survivors, from over 45 countries, who currently reside in Pennsylvania, Delaware and southern New Jersey.  The Center offers survivors the opportunity to regain their sense of self-worth, renew their ability to enjoy life, openly express their fears and hopes and face the future with confidence.

Liberty Center provides direct services which include the coordination of legal, medical, psychological and social services. The Center utilizes professional and lay volunteer services to meet the needs of over 150 clients with only 1.5 full time equivalent staff.  The Liberty Center also provides professional training and technical assistance to related service providers and has partnerships with five international partners working with women in the midst of oppression and war.  The Center offers supervised internship experiences for graduate students in social work, education, psychology, and related fields.

Linette (name has been changed) was helped by Liberty Center.  At the age of 13, in her native Sierra Leon, Linette was kidnapped during a raid by rebel forces. Her father and his wife were murdered, and Linette was raped.  She was taken and forced to serve as a “wife” to a rebel soldier.  She was gang raped and required to work as a domestic slave for the men who were brutalizing her.  She was forced to witness raids on local villages without reacting because the leaders threatened that if she cried she would be beaten and raped.  Linette was desperate to avoid pregnancy because she feared that she would watch her baby killed as had happened to other female captives.  After 18 months, Linette escaped and tried to return to her home.  But, because she had been tattooed with the mark of the rebels, she was brutally attacked by the villagers who believed she had been initiated into the rebel forces.  Linette was beaten and burned with hot plastic before she escaped to a refugee camp. 

Linette was assisted in coming to the United States, but she had no documentation that could verify her identity so she was detained in a juvenile jail.  She had no family or contacts in the United States and she had no legal representation to represent her case in front of an immigration judge.  She had psychological symptoms and physical scars that remained a constant reminder of her traumatic experiences.  She was not allowed to work by immigration law and was ineligible for medical, social or psychological services due to her immigration status.

Due to Liberty Center’s intervention, Linette was granted asylum and released from detention.  She found safe housing with a group of women from her community and is currently studying at the community college level and working full time.  She receives counseling and has had a consultation for a pro-bono scar removal by a local plastic surgeon. 

Through your support of WOMEN’S WAY and the Liberty Center you are an active, positive force in the life of someone like Linette.  Volunteers and contributions are always appreciated and restore the hope in humankind for victims of targeted violence.  WOMEN’S WAY is proud to support the Liberty Center for Survivors of Torture.