Iowa teen convicted of manslaughter after killing her alleged rapist escapes probation center

18-year-old Pippa Lewis, who is an Iowa sex-trafficking victim who killed her alleged rapist when she was 15, has escaped from her probation center.  Lewis has violated the probation she was ordered to serve at a correctional facility after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Lewis said that Zachary Brooks sexually assaulted her several times before she, in a fit of rage stabbed him to death in June 2020, according to the Des Moines Register.

Neither prosecutors or police denied that Lewis was trafficked and sexually assaulted. The prosecution said that Brooks was sleeping when he was stabbed, and therefore did not present an immediate threat to Lewis.

In September, Judge David M. Porter sentenced Lewis to five years’ probation, which was to be served at a women’s correctional facility, the Register reported. Lewis failure to adhere to the terms of her probation could lead to her being sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Lewis’s reported escape took place on Friday at around 6 a.m. local time. Someone opened a door at the women’s correctional facility, which set of an alarm. An on-duty officer said he saw Lewis leaving the premises, the Des Moines Register reported.

Public anger towards Lewis’ sentence increased when the court ordered her to pay Brooks’ family $150,000 restitution.

A GoFundMe campaign was set up and enough money was contributed to pay Lewis’ restitution to remove that burden from her.

“I am overjoyed with the prospect of removing this burden from Pieper,” said the campaign’s organizer, Leland Schipper, one of Lewis’ former teachers. “A child who was raped, under no circumstances, should owe the rapist’s family money.”