One of the strengths that Amaury found in photography is being able to recount his life and share it with those who are going through a similar situation. With his self- portraits, she learned to accept and embrace his identity and appearance.

Amaury suffered sexual abuse by two adults on his 6th birthday. After that brutal act, his birthday became a martyrdom because, even though he was a child, he had to fake happiness to make others happy. In this image, Amaury celebrates his 7th birthday, exactly one year after his attack.

Amaury has two brothers. Both Amaury and one of his brothers have tried to commit suicide on one occasion. For this reason, in his house, his parents have removed the door handles so they can enter in case they try again. The family suspects that his brother was also a victim of sexual abuse, however he has never expressed it.

Despite his taste and charm for nature, Amaury feels afraid every time he goes out alone for a walk. Near these fields where he today has to travel to get home is where he was sexually assaulted when he was just a child. Thanks to this he developed a fear of walking alone in these places.

Alejandro Maldonado, 28, poses in front of a mirror in his room.

For two years Alejandro underwent very painful chemotherapy and treatments caused by leukemia. He lost more than 10 kilos and it was an affront to his family; however, he always carried out the fight to survive and defeat leukemia with optimism.

Today it is known that Alex's abuser was not only a sexual predator of him, but also of other young people and women, which is why he acquired HIV and subsequently committed suicide. Unfortunately, from the age of 16, Alejandro learned that his attacker gave him HIV and for years he was undergoing treatment.

For two years Alejandro underwent very painful chemotherapy and treatments caused by leukemia. He lost more than 10 kilos and it was an affront to his family; however, he always carried out the fight to survive and defeat leukemia with optimism.

A few months ago the doctor discharged Alejandro after many chemotherapy treatments. His tests showed no cancer cells and he was able to return home after several weeks in the hospital. In the image, Alejandro is preparing his breakfast to regain the lost weight.

Despite being discharged weeks later, Alejandro suffered a relapse of his illness and unfortunately died at the age of 28.

Guadalupe Maldonado, Alejandro's mother, carries a portrait of her son, who died of cancer and is a survivor of sexual abuse.

When Santi opened his eyes in the middle of deep darkness, the sensation that brought him out of shock was an intense pain in the back of his body that prevented him from standing up, forcing him to remain squatting for a few moments. Adapting to the hurtful sensation and trying to put on the pants that were forcibly lowered to his ankles in order to carry out the attack, he dressed slowly in the middle of a mental fog that did not allow him to realize what had happened. Confused, dislocated and hurt by the brutality of the attack, Santi walked slowly to his house. He arrived, closed the doors and knew that the only way to survive and protect himself would be to self-impose a vow of silence, because in the Xalapa of the 60's no one was going to protect a different child, from the neighborhood, who had been sexually abused by an older aggressor. that he . At that time Santi was 10 years old.

When the attack occurred, Santi was unable to turn to his family for support. However, rumors spread in the neighborhood and far from supporting him, his family stopped taking him into account. They did not support him, so he fell into depression and a state of helplessness.

Years of harassment, attacks and suffering contempt from his family led Santi to learn about depression in depth and experience terrible consequences. One afternoon, mentally overwhelmed and tired of his situation, Santi took all the medicines he found at home: headache pills, stomach pain pills and whatever medicine he found and crushed them slowly to dissolve them in a glass of water. In the process he remembered his childhood, the attack, all the love that was denied him and all the days and nights of tears and crying of a young man who was victimized and revictimized by those who were supposed to protect him.

Today, Santi is a recovered elderly man with a sincere vocation and concern for those who have experienced the same thing as him. For years he has created a ritual where he cleanses his body during the bath and prays an Our Father to which he has added the following. Survivor's prayer. Mister: Thank you for giving my body the power of self-healing, physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Thanks to this, my systems work wonderfully, because they are recovering lost capabilities, awakening dormant capabilities and building new capabilities so that I can fulfill the mission that you gave me when you gave me life: work to make a better world based on the principle of love for humanity. I recognize that during my life I have been violated, offended, mistreated, subjected... Therefore, I am working from the depths of my being to transform myself, transform my life, transform the world and transform the universe. Please Lord, keep away from me forever the people who have hurt me, those who are hurting me and those who want to hurt me. Help me to succeed in this life here and now, I beg you in the name of love, for love and for love AMEN.

Portrait of Teo in his bathroom mirror.

Teo fixes his hair in front of the mirror. Years of psychological abuse and humiliation from the religious education imposed on him caused him a state of perpetual depression. "I was raised like a nun, I couldn't laugh, I couldn't speak, I couldn't express myself... they forbade me to be happy"

Back of "B" Sexual Abuse Survivor

Religion has been one of the spaces where "B" has been able to heal all the wounds resulting from the abuse he suffered as a child.

Portrait of "B"In his house. Unfortunately, for years now "B" has suffered from alcoholism that prevents him from getting ahead in his life. His neighbors have been taking care of him for years and he can no longer work. In recent years he has suffered from malnutrition because he did not have money to eat food.