Melissa, Colombia

Laia Abril, On Rape, 2022

Narrator: I began to notice my daughter’s sudden mood swings, she would get irritated very easily, had nightmares and no longer ate as she used to. I was alarmed by all these signs, and one day when she told me that her teacher “washed her when she went to the bathroom” I understood everything. In complete shock, I began to investigate and my personal odyssey began. Childhood sexual abuse in this country is so normalized that parents believe a teacher before their own 5-year-old daughter. I know that because they came to threaten me in his defence. However, other parents did listen to their children and today we suspect that at least 20 more of her classmates were his victims. When we tried to talk to the school they had already transferred him to another kindergarten. They were aware of what was happening, tried to silence us and cover everything up. Apparently, the teacher had a history of sexual abuse that stretched back several years. Since all this began I have had to struggle with severe depression. I couldn’t sleep, I lost 17 kilos, it became an obsession, which led me to try to kill myself. For a year I have gone out each day searching for justice and I am proud to have fought for my daughter and to have helped other parents denounce the man. However, we will soon have elections for the mayor of Bogotá, and when the administration changes the case will be filed away, probably without any consequences either for him or for those who covered up his crimes.