My girlfriend was raped ... and it's not over...

by Kyle
(Arizona)

My girlfriend was raped. They threw her in a van and raped her. Told her if she told anyone, they would kill her family. They belong to a gang, pretty big in our city. We are so scared. We don't know if they are coming for her again or not. But I hate not being able to do anything.

It's KILLING me! Please help me.

Dear Kyle,

This is terrible experience for your girl friend and you. You must feel helpless and powerless. There are two issues here: the emotional one and the legal one.

Let's look at the emotional one first. Your girl friend needs some kind of rape counseling to help with the trauma of being raped. A national resource that can help you find counseling in your area is: www.rainn.org. They have a hotline on their website that you can call.

As for the legal aspect, you both need to go to the police and tell them what happened, and about your fears of being assaulted again. I don't know what can be done about identifying the perpetrators, but they should be able to offer you some protection.

Hope this helps.

Gene Kayser
The Couples Guide