By Olivia Mania, Legal Intern at Amara Legal Center

“The story of Pieper Lewis, an Iowa teenager, is all too familiar . . . Lewis is not the first trafficking survivor to be penalized by the criminal legal system as a result of her victimization. For Lewis and for all survivors, Amara continues to advocate for laws that promote justice for survivors of trafficking and exploitation.”

The story of Pieper Lewis, an Iowa teenager, is all too familiar. In recent years, a number of teenagers in the U.S., often people of color, have been convicted of killing their sex trafficker or assaulter. Lewis pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and willful injury and was facing up to 20 years in prison after killing Zachary Brooks, who had sexually assaulted her on multiple occassions in 2020.[1] Polk County District Judge David M. Porter deferred the two ten-year sentences and determined that Lewis’s time spent in juvenile detention was enough time served.[2] Instead, Judge Porter ordered her to 5 years probation and mandated that she pay a $150,000 restitution fee to the family of Brooks, noting that the restitution was mandatory under Iowa law stating that, “This court has no discretion but to impose $150,000 in restitution payable to Mr. Brook’s estate.”[3]

According to Lewis, Brooks, who was 37 at the time, had repeatedly sexually assaulted the then-15-year-old for weeks prior to his death.[4] Lewis told the court that following the series of assaults, something inside her snapped, leading her to kill Brooks.[5]

Iowa, unlike many states, does not have a “Safe Harbor” law providing certain legal protections, including immunity, to youth survivors of human trafficking.[6] Advocates note that, when dealing with these scenarios, the power dynamic between a victim and their abuser must be taken into account in order to avoid re-traumatizing survivors by penalizing them for the act of protecting themselves.[7] The order that Lewis pay $150,000 in restitution has sparked outrage, and led to the creation of a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost.[8] The GoFundMe has since dramatically exceeded its initial $150,000 goal.[9] Leland Schipper, the person who began the page, was Lewis’s former math teacher.[10] Schipper has stated that:

“The funds will be used in the following ways: 1) Pay off Piepers 150k restitution 2) Pay off the additional 4k in restitution to the state 3) Remove financial barriers for Pieper in pursuing college/university or starting her own business. 4) Give Pieper the financial capacity to explore ways to help other young victims of sex crimes!”[11]

Lewis is not the first trafficking survivor to be penalized by the criminal legal system as a result of her victimization. For Lewis and for all survivors, Amara continues to advocate for Safe Harbor and other laws that promote justice for survivors of trafficking and exploitation.