Her voice is frail and friendly. Makes excuses for his delay, electoral campaign requires, a few days of extraordinary legislative Sunday, January 26. Her gaze, framed by black hair cut in the square, fixes you right in the eyes. But he becomes fleeing and fogged with tears as soon as she delves into her story. That of a "survivor" of domestic violence, as she describes herself.
All of Peru saw images of her attack, filmed by a video surveillance camera at a hotel in Ayacucho, in the center of the country in the Andes, where she came from. We see her ex-partner, naked, dragging her to the ground by the hair as she tries to struggle. A trace that constitutes both his chance – the blatant violence – and one more trauma, where fear and humiliation have remained forever engraved. It was almost five years ago, in July 2015. She was 25 years old.
Since then, she has fought a legal battle that never seems to end. "To physical violence was added institutional violence", She says. Despite the evidence, she faces four trials. Again and again, she must detail her story, constantly questioned, prove the consequences. At first, the justice recognizes only "Slight lesions" and dismissed the case, leaving the attacker free.
Contempt for a macho society
A lawyer by training, she had the ambition to work in diplomacy, but had to give up her life plan and flee her hometown, saying that she was threatened by the family of her ex-spouse, "Rich and influential", says she. She seeks refuge in the capital, Lima, a city of 9 million inhabitants. Alone, but with the deep conviction of her right to justice.
At the end of four years, she obtained in July 2019 the conviction of her aggressor: 11 years in prison for attempted femicide – less than the 14 years required by the prosecution. The prosecution's attempted rape, even though her attacker – now on the run – was naked, is not recognized. Arlette Contreras judges the verdict 'Unfair' and "Too mild". "She does not want crumbs, but real justice, with a right to truth and to repair", explains his lawyer, Cynthia Silva. Now his fight continues beyond borders. She seized the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States.
