Nan-Hui Jo, a single Korean mother and survivor of domestic violence, is being retried this week outside of Sacramento in Yolo County, after a trial resulted in a hung jury in December 2014.
Nan-Hui fled to her home country to escape physical and emotional abuse by her then-partner, Jesse Charlton. When Nan-Hui returned to the US, she was arrested and separated from her six year old daughter, Vitz Da. Nan-Hui has been in jail for over seven months without due process. Custody of her daughter Vitz Da was given to her abuser, a man who never wanted the child, refused to pay child support, and has not seen the girl since she was an infant.
Though there is documentation of lethal-level physical violence against her, Nan-Hui is being charged with child abduction for rescuing herself and her child.
Nan-Hui now faces prison and/or deportation, either likely resulting in permanent separation from her daughter.
Nan-Hui Jo has been criminalized because she is an immigrant, a survivor of domestic violence and a fierce protector of her daughter. And despite the failure of the jurors to declare her guilty in her first trial, the Yolo County DA has aggressively pursued a re-trial, saying that the case is purely about child abduction and not domestic violence.
Korean American Coalition to End Domestic Abuse (KACEDA) and Asian Women’s Shelter and other supporters of Nan-Hui are calling on you to help us send a strong message to Yolo County and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that survivors of domestic violence must be supported and not criminalized. And children must be protected.
For more information, visit www.kaceda.org.
Follow us on Twitter @standwithnanhui for updates.
Free Nan-Hui Jo and reunite her with her child!
Take action now!
Sign & share the petition to stop Nan-Hui’s deportation
Share her story on your tumblr/blog/facebook