Baghdad's "Street Lawyers" defend Hassan* and other at-risk kids

Hassan* (16) was picked up by police after breaking into a car and stealing money. He faced the prospect in court of a harsh two-year prison sentence. But Hassan was not facing this alone. No, a Street Lawyer - provided free of cost by donors like you - stepped in. You see, teenage Hassan was the family breadwinner, trying to support a desperately poor, blind mother as well as his little 10 year old sister. When he was picked up, the family had not eaten in two days. The Street Lawyer worked with Hassan in advance of the court hearing. The stolen money was repaid to the owner and they persuaded the victim to withdraw charges. Then, when the Street Lawyer explained Hassan's tragic story in court, the judge was touched and acted with mercy, dropping the penalty to six months in prison suspended.

What if a Street Lawyer you support had not come to Hassan's defense? What would have become of his blind mother and little sister without a breadwinner? What would have happened to other children and their families in the hundreds of legal cases handled by Street Lawyers each year, involving charges of theft, drugs, violence, trafficking, and or other offenses? Thankfully, donors like you are the face of change for these very vulnerable, at-risk boys and girls.
*name changed for privacy