SACRAMENTO
Leticia Soto refuses to remain silent about an issue that is taboo in the Latino culture: rape.
Soto came to the United States from her native México City back in 2004 fleeing an abusive marriage. Settling in Santa Monica, the newly-single mother of three started working the graveyard shift at a janitorial company “to provide a better future for my children,” she said.
It never crossed her mind that the following months would change her life.
It was 2007 when Soto’s supervisor made unwanted sexual advances. At first, she ignored them until they persisted and he became more aggressive.
“As janitors, we work during a very difficult time, usually from six in the evening until three or four in the morning. We almost always work alone and in isolation, but sometimes, we realize, we are not alone,” said Soto.
For three years, Soto was not only sexually assaulted by her supervisor, but she was also repeatedly raped. One night while walking home late after completing her shift, she was raped by two unidentified strangers on the street.
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