In June 2020, Pieper Lewis, then 15, stabbed a 37-year-old man at his home with 30 stab wounds. The girl had apparently previously been abused by her stepmother and ran away from home. At first she lived on the streets, then a 28-year-old took her in and offered her to other men for sex.

Her later victim was among these men. The man is said to have raped Lewis multiple times. However, these incidents did not come out as part of a rape process. Rather, Lewis himself was on trial for murder — because she stabbed the man.

In court, Lewis testified that after one of the rapes, she took a kitchen knife and stabbed her tormentor. The court sentenced the now 17-year-old defendant to five years' imprisonment on probation. She also has to pay $150,000 to her victim's family.

During the trial, Lewis had pleaded guilty to manslaughter and serious bodily harm. Both offenses are actually punishable by up to ten years in prison. However, due to the circumstances, the judge only suspended the sentence on probation. However, the state law requires that the victim's family be compensated financially. "The court has no choice," the judge said.

In the process it was undisputed that Lewis was sold and raped. However, prosecutors argued that the rapist was sleeping when the girl stabbed him. As a result, he no longer posed any immediate danger in the situation.

After the verdict, Pieper Lewis, who consented to her name being used, read a prepared statement. "My soul is burned but it still glows from the flames," she said. "Hear me roar, see me shine and watch me grow. I am a survivor."

What: AP