Twenty: the number of minutes that Esther had to meet her husband before she was engaged and married off by her parents. Seventeen: the age that Esther was when she was married. Ten: the number of years that Esther was abused by her “husband.” During that span of time, not only did he rape her, but he allowed other men to rape her as well.
As a mother, my heart breaks for young women like Esther. My daughter is 17, and her current worries are over things like graduation and prepping for her first year of college. A forced, abusive relationship is the furthest concern from my daughter’s mind. Yet, at her age (and even younger), some girls are literally fearing for their lives. The sickest part about Esther’s story is that it was perpetrated by the people that a young girl should be able to trust: her family.