Pieper Lewis during the court hearing. The 17-year-old stabbed her rapist in 2020

DLNews Crime:

Des Moines (Iowa) - In the United States, a 17-year-old has to pay the family of her alleged rapist $ 150,000. In addition, the young woman was sentenced to a suspended sentence of five years and community service.

Pieper Lewis was 15 years old when she stabbed her tormentor. According to media reports, she ran away from home in 2020. Pieper was sleeping in the hallway of an apartment building when Christopher Brown (28) allegedly took her and forced her into prostitution. This is how she came into contact with Zachary Brooks (37), her later tormentor. Pieper Lewis testified in court that Brooks gave her alcohol, drugged her, and raped her at least five times while she was partially unconscious.

Pieper Lewis (left) with her lawyer Magdalena Reese.

On a stabbing day, Brown allegedly threatened the 15-year-old with a knife and forced her to return to Brooks's apartment. The 37-year-old is said to have drugged and raped the 15-year-old again. When Lewis finally woke up, Brooks was already asleep. "Without thinking, I immediately took the knife from his bedside table and started stabbing him," she said in her statement.

The 17-year-old was initially charged with murder and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. If convicted, she would have faced 20 years in prison.

Police and prosecutors did not deny that the girl was a victim of sexual exploitation. The judge said he wanted to give the young woman a "second chance" with the suspended sentence. However, he had to impose the fine because of the applicable legal situation. A law in Iowa provides that relatives of murder victims must be compensated.

Lewis's former teacher called the law "morally unjustifiable" and launched a fundraiser for the 17-year-old. "Under no circumstances should a child who has been raped owe money to the rapist's family." The fundraiser on the website Gofundme had raised $441,900 as of Friday. In addition to paying the fine, the money should also be used to educate the 17-year-olds.