BACKGROUND

The Vivo Alliance Advocacy & Accountability Project was inspired by Karla Hernandez's futile pursuit of justice following her brutal attack and sexual assault in December 2020. She faced continuous roadblocks within the Puerto Rican justice system, which favors the perpetrators of these horrific crimes over their victims. More than two and a half years after her ordeal, no progress had been made in holding her assailant accountable and her case was finally closed with no resolution, leaving the violent perpetrator at liberty, free to rape again. After consulting with legal professionals and other assault victims, as well as non-profit organizations battling the scourge of gender/sexual violence, Karla and her husband Gerald came to the conclusion that there is a systemic problem—that victims of sexual assault are at the mercy of a dysfunctional system. With gender-based violence at alarming levels in Puerto Rico, Karla and Gerald decided to turn their pain into purpose and start Vivo Alliance – a non-profit organization committed to supporting survivors, and exposing and addressing the systemic flaws within the Puerto Rico criminal justice system that contribute to this epidemic of violence against women.

OUR PROJECT

Vivo Alliance has assembled a team of legal and research professionals, such as Orlandy Cabrera Valentin, Esq. (Assistant Solicitor General of Puerto Rico) and graduate students from The University of Puerto Rico Law School, who have embarked on a comprehensive project to take on the issue of sexual violence in Puerto Rico. They have gathered critical information about the severity of the problem, identified systemic deficiencies, and formulated evidence-based solutions. These solutions will be promoted to the public and to legislators and policy-makers, with the end goal of strengthening victims' rights and helping to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted and the justice system is held accountable.

Thanks to our amazing 2023 donors, we exceeded our initial end-of-year crowdfunding goal of $30k, and raised a total of $33,497. With that initial capital, in January, 2024, we embarked on the first stage of our project,  in which we worked to document the nature and extent of the problem of sexual assault, including the issue of the rape kit backlog.

In May, we were able to raise an additional $22,425 for the next important stage of our project, which took place from June – August, 2024. During this time, working with 6 student interns from the UPR Law School, we conducted an in-depth comparative analysis of the sexual assault and victims’ rights laws in Puerto Rico and the 50 states, as well as 21 other countries. By analyzing all of these different jurisdictions, we were able to identify the various legal shortcomings, as well as the best practices currently being implemented in this area of criminal justice. We created a comprehensive 40-page report of our research, that outlines our procedures and findings, and culminates with several specific legislative recommendations for Puerto Rico. This report is currently under review to be published in the UPR Legal Journal. Finally, using our research and recommendations as the basis, we have drafted a full legislative bill proposal for Puerto Rico, that implements the recommendations outlined in our report.

We feel fortunate to have been able to accomplish so much in a short period of time with the funding we have received to date. We know it is important to maximize the dollar-for-dollar impact of these funds.

YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL

Now, we are fundraising for the next vital stage of our project. Since the Puerto Rico elections are coming up in November, and the next legislative assembly begins on Jan. 1, 2025, we have a short window of time in which to raise public awareness about our research and legal recommendations to address the problem of sexual assault. We need to raise $60,000, in order to implement a strategic public awareness campaign over the next 3 months, in which we will be reaching out to national and local news outlets, as well as holding several public awareness events to share our research and recommendations. Some of the costs include: Project Director, Operations Manager, Content Creator, Digital Marketing Campaign, and Public Awareness Events.

The goal of our campaign is to bring in allies and supporters from the general population, as well as specific government officials and NGO’s willing to endorse our initiative.  We have already begun creating our coalition, and have partnered with Coordinadora Paz Para La Mujer- Puerto Rico’s Coalition for Women’s Rights, as well as RAINN- a highly recognized national organization supporting survivors of sexual violence, and The Joyful Heart Foundation- a national leader in rape kit management and gender-based violence support and resources.

Our mission is becoming reality, and this is the most crucial stage of all. Our ultimate goal is to improve sexual assault victims’ rights and bring more perpetrators to justice. Please donate today to help us to maximize our reach and impact.

Vivo Alliance is proudly partnered in this project with Integro Foundation, a 501c3/1101 non-profit organization. They are our legal and fiscal agent in this project, and as such all donations made are tax-deductible.

PR ACT 20/22/60 DONORS: Your donation to this project qualifies under the Act 20/22/60 requirements. Upon donating through this page, you will receive a receipt from the every.org platform, but this is not the receipt that qualifies. Integro Foundation will send you an additional receipt for your donation that qualifies for Act 20/22/60 requirements.

For further information, or to get involved, please visit our website https://www.vivoalliance.org/ or contact us at vivoalliancefoundation@gmail.com.