When there is nowhere else to turn, we’re here to help. FVAP is dedicated to helping domestic violence survivors and their children by appealing dangerous trial court decisions on their behalf, for free.
Beverly’s Story
Beverly was a high school senior when her boyfriend began abusing her. Like most abusers, he started out sweet, but quickly became jealous and controlling. He eventually isolated her from her friends, and began to physically abuse her. When she started college, he made Beverly call him at the beginning of a class and keep the call active the whole time so he could monitor who she talked to. Eventually, this phone surveillance extended to other parts of the day until he was monitoring her 24/7, listening even as she slept at night. Read More
Jennifer’s Story
Jennifer came to FVAP fearing for her safety and the safety of her family. She had just found out that her abusive ex-husband filed to appeal her Domestic Violence Restraining Order, which had been issued to her in 2013 to protect herself and her two nieces against him. Jennifer, like most survivors, couldn’t afford to pay a private attorney to defend her at the appellate level — because appeals often take months or even years, typically costing tens-of-thousands of dollars — and she was scared this would result in her restraining order being taken away. Read More
Keisha’s Story
Keisha and her son were living in Texas when her partner started abusing her. She went to the police, but they said they couldn’t help her and told her she should go somewhere he wouldn’t be able to find her. She marshaled her courage and fled with her son California, and was granted a restraining order and sole custody. But one day Keisha went to pick up her son from school, and he was missing. Read More
V’s Story
V is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley. Her abusive father was awarded joint custody of her through the California courts, following which he continued to physically, sexually, and emotionally abuse her.
The first time he hit [my mother] was the day my brother was born. From that day on, the abuse escalated. One day, my grandma found her at the bottom of the stairs. My father had punched her and pushed her from the top. When we finally escaped and my mother filed for divorce, the judge ordered that we spend two weeks a month with my mom and two weeks a month with my father. Read More
Bianka’s Story
Bianka fled Honduras and made the journey to the United States at age 13. Her purported father abandoned her mother before Bianka was born, and allegedly physically abused her mother while she was pregnant with Bianka, including beating her with a machete.
Bianka sought Special Immigration Juvenile Status (SIJS) in the United States. SIJS is a federal immigration status created by Congress to provide protection to undocumented, unaccompanied children who enter the United States after experiencing parental abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Read More
