… [Maria] Suarez’s horrifying experience — imprisoned from the age of 16 for five years in the home of a 67-year-old Azusa man who repeatedly raped her — reveals how she slipped through several cracks. It also shows how, subsequently, she was betrayed by a justice system that instead of aiding her put her behind bars for life.
But her case also reveals a ray of hope. That’s because someone – Elizabeth Dermody Leonard – was paying attention. And she helped kick off the process that would eventually free Suarez, now 49. …
–Ann Bartow
