[Scene: Courtroom.

The judge is seated on his bench, while the lawyers and the parties involved
are in their respective places. The daughter, Valeria, 16, is seated next to her mother, Ana. The
father, Carlos, is represented by his lawyer, gomez].

Judge: (striking the gavel) Order in the courtroom. We will now begin the hearing in case number
234-A regarding allegations of domestic abuse. Attorney Martinez, would you please present your
case?

Attorney Martinez: (standing) Thank you, Your Honor. My client, Ana Perez, has filed this case
against her husband, Carlos Lopez, for domestic abuse. Ana has suffered physical and emotional
abuse for years in front of her daughter Valeria.

Carlos: (interrupting) That's not true! I have never mistreated anyone. Ana only wants to hurt me.

Judge: (looking at Carlos) Silence in the courtroom. Let's continue with the statements.

Attorney Martinez: (pointing to Valeria) Your Honor, I would like to call Valeria to the stand.

[Valeria gets up and approaches the witness stand. She looks nervous].

Judge: Welcome Valeria, can you tell the court what you have seen in your home?

Valeria: (trembling) I've seen my dad yelling at my mom and.... sometimes push her. I don't know
if that's abuse, but I've always been afraid when he gets angry.

Attorney Gómez (counsel for Carlos): (rising) Objection, Your Honor. The girl is young and
influenced by the mother. Her statements are not completely objective.

Judge: Objection overruled. Valeria has the right to express what she has experienced. Continue,
Valeria.
Valeria: Sometimes my dad says very ugly things and.... it makes me feel bad too. I don't want him
to yell at me and I don't want him to yell at mom.

Lawyer Gomez: (interrupting) Have you ever seen your father hit your mother?

Valeria: (hesitating) Not exactly... but I have seen her cry a lot after an argument.

Attorney Martínez: (interjecting) Your Honor, I want to emphasize that psychological and
emotional abuse is just as harmful as physical abuse, and has devastating effects on the minors
who witness it, like Valeria.

Judge: I understand that, Attorney Martinez. You may continue.

Attorney Gómez: That does not prove that there is physical abuse. Many couples argue without
reaching the point of physical violence.

Ana: (with tears in her eyes) But that doesn't mean there is no emotional damage. He controls me
and scares me!

Carlos: (with disdain) That's just a form of manipulation! My wife wants to make me look like the
villain here.

Attorney Martinez: (addressing the judge) Your Honor, this is a clear pattern of emotional and
psychological abuse that affects not only Ana but also her daughter.

Carlos: (with disdain) Ana always puts those ideas in her head. I am a good father.

Attorney Martinez: (looking at Carlos) Then, if you are a good father, why is your daughter afraid
of you, Mr. Lopez? Why does she cry and hesitate to talk about you?

Attorney Gomez: Your Honor, my client has no reason to respond to insinuations based on the
child's emotions.
Judge: I understand the attorney's point. Don Miguel, do you have any evidence to refute these
assertions?

Attorney Gomez: I present as evidence the family therapy records where it is mentioned that Ana
also has anger issues and is not always peaceful at home.

*Ana: That doesn't justify the abuse! I was just looking for help because he never listens to my
feelings.

*Valeria: (interjecting) Mom just wanted everything to be okay! I wanted dad to be different...

Attorney Gomez:(calmly) Valeria, if your father has been a good provider and a good father in
other areas, don't you think we should consider that?

*Valeria: But being a provider doesn't mean being good.... Sometimes I feel like I'm trapped!

Attorney Gomez: Your Honor, I'd like to call the witness Claudia.

(Claudia gets up and approaches the witness stand)

judge: what does she have to say in defense of her brother?

CLAUDIA: your honor, my brother Carlos is a good man and a loving father, he is not a criminal,
Ana who he is married to is the one who has always manipulated him and controlled him all this
time.

Judge: Are you sure of everything you are saying?

Claudia: yes your honor, my brother is not a violent man, she is the one who has anger problems
and she is the one who provokes him.

Judge: Why do you think your brother should not go to jail?

Judge: Do you have evidence of physical injuries?

Claudia: I have a lot of evidence that she is always the one who starts the fights, one day I went to
visit and my brother was all beaten up, he had many bruises, that day in front of me she started
yelling at him and pushing him saying many things, she even grabbed his things and threw them in
the street, I recorded all of this.

(Ana stands up and starts to scream)

Ana: your honor, all that is a lie, tell the truth Claudia that day I grabbed his things because I was
tired of him, I didn't want him in my life anymore, I was going to report him and at that moment
he started to hit me and to tell me that if I left him I would see the consequences, all those blows
he started to do to himself.

(Carlos angrily stands up, bangs the table and starts talking)

Carlos: Ana, you have been hitting me all the time and then you accuse me, you have been making
me believe that I am guilty.

Judge: What proof do you have of that?

Carlos: I have no proof, your honor it's true, you have only used me, you even cheated on me with
another man.

Ana: (indignant) that's a lie! you have mistreated me for years, the only thing you are is a violent
alcoholic and a liar, I have never cheated on you, the one who has cheated on me is you with many
women.

Judge: Let's take a recess to deliberate on this complicated situation, I must review all possible
evidence.

[The judge withdraws briefly while the characters argue among themselves].
[Scene: Courtroom. The judge returns after a brief recess].

Judge: After reviewing the evidence, this court finds that there is insufficient evidence to convict
Carlos Lopez of abuse.

Ana: (indignant) This is an injustice! He manipulated everything!

Valeria: (shouting) Dad, you know this is a lie! You always make us feel afraid!

Carlos: (with a malicious smile) That's all exaggeration. It is clear who is telling the truth here.

Attorney Gómez: (looking at the judge) Thank you, Your Honor, for your impartiality. I trust that
justice has prevailed.

[Ana and Valeria are shocked, while the judge and Gómez exchange an accomplice look].

Valeria: (with tears) Mom... it's not fair. I know they bought it, this wasn't fair.

Ana: I know, daughter. But someday the truth will come out.