She was born in a humble family that grew coffee and cocoa. On February 2001, when she was 19 years old, Linda Loaiza López Soto traveled for the first time to Caracas, looking for a better future for herself and her family. She could never imagine that in the capital city of Venezuela she was to become the victim of one the cases that have shocked the most the Venezuelan society.

On August 19, 2001, officers of the Chacao Municipality Police Corps found Linda López at an apartment located in El Rosal, northeast Caracas that belonged to cattle-riser Luis Carrera Almoina.

The young girl was found tied and handcuffed, with her face smashed, a nipple cut out, and genital and abdominal traumas. She was abused during four months. Up to date, López has undergone nine surgeries seeking to recover, but she still has a long way to go.

Carrera's lawyers claim López was a member of a prostitution ring, and add that López was ill treated by said organization. Meanwhile, López' lawyers say Carrera's lawyers have resorted to such claims in order to cut Carrera's likely term in prison for frustrated murder, rape, false kidnapping, and torture.

Html packaging: Norma Jiménez Montealegre

Translation: Maryflor Suárez