Americans have raised $400,000 in GoFundMe donations for Pieper Lewis, a human trafficking victim who was raped and fined for stabbing her attacker, Zachary Brooks.
Many Americans and even a global audience thought that the judgment was ridiculous and sickening, as Pieper was only fighting off her attacker in Self-Defense.
Her former school teacher, Leland Schipper, set up a GoFundMe account and took to her social media to say something about the incident. She wrote:
“Today, my former student, Pieper Lewis, bravely took the microphone during her sentencing hearing and told the courtroom that her voice mattered. I was incredibly proud of her. She was powerful, and she brought me to tears. The judge then studied all the evidence in Pieper Lewis’s case carefully and decided that she did not deserve to spend time in adult prison.
on TTuesday, Pieper was sentenced to five years probation, two years after she stabbed her alleged rapist. According to Iowa State criminal law for juveniles, the judge also decided that she would pay $150,000 in restitution to Zachary’s family.
Citizens of the United States and social media users following the case have come online to express their regrets about the failing system that is supposed to protect minors from incidents like Piper’s.
