THE CARROLL NEWS: JCU student tells story of horror, then bravery

JCU student tells story of horror, then bravery
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Andrew Rafferty on 12 March, 2008 04:00:00
 
Johanna Orozco still isn’t completely comfortable with how she looks, but
she isn’t allowing that to stop her from telling her story and advocating
for a change in how Ohio deals with juvenile offenders.
The story of her teenage relationship with an abusive boyfriend and her
recovery from being shot in the face captured national media attention.
Now a freshman at John Carroll University, Orozco spoke here last Wednesday
about moving on, forgiveness and awareness of abuse in teenage relationships.
“At first I was ashamed and embarrassed of how I looked, but with the
support of my family and friends, I said, ‘Why not?’ Let’s put
it all out there,” she said about allowing The Plain Dealer to chronicle
her story.
One year after the attack, Orozco is now an advocate for a piece of stalled
legislation that would better protect teenage victims of sexual assaults.
Her attacker, Juan Ruiz, was released with an ankle bracelet after being
charged with raping Orozco at knifepoint.
Ruiz’s release proved to be a costly mistake. He shot Orozco in the face
at point-blank range on March 5, 2007.
The ankle bracelet took days to alert authorities when someone left the
permitted area, but Orozco’s story has brought improvements to the system.
While changes have been made, she said there is no shortage of work to be done.
Orozco has become an inspiration for many. She described how she gives out her
number to girls who approach at the mall and want to talk about their
relationships. She thinks she is going to major is psychology at JCU because she
wants to help people.
“As difficult as it was for her, I think she realized the importance of
telling her story,” said Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer photographer who
worked on her story.
Orozco said she has forgiven her ex-boyfriend, who was convicted to 27 years in
prison, though her face is a constant reminder of what he did to her.  In a
letter published in The Plain Dealer, she wrote, “I am learning to love
myself for who I am now.”
Still, Orozco hasn’t let anything stop her from bringing attention to
abuse in young relationships.
Cathleen Alexander, executive director of Cleveland’s Domestic Violence
Center, said jealousy can be an early sign that a relationship will turn
abusive.
She said, “This is why it is hard sometimes for teenagers and older
people to realize ‘Is this an abusive relationship, or does this person
really love me?’”
But Orozco is excited at the prospect of moving on with her life. Along with
going to school, she said she writes poetry every day.
“If you work hard and you have faith, you can accomplish your dreams and
your goals,” she said.