Jess Smochek was 23 and volunteering in Bangladesh when she was gang raped by a group of young men who had stalked her for weeks. On the very first day she arrived, they pushed her to the ground and groped her. The group also went after two other female PCVs living in the same city as Smochek, groping, harassing, and fondling the women.

Despite repeated reports to Peace Corps officials that the three PCVs didn't feel safe and wanted to be reassigned, the volunteers were ignored. The young men -- realizing Smochek had spoken up about what was going on -- attacked her, telling her they were going to kill her. They raped her physically and with foreign objects and left her unconscious in a back alley.