Too traumatized to die? Women rally to halt execution of rape survivor - USA Today

Hear this story Defense attorneys and prosecutors agree about one thing when it comes to death row inmate Christa Pike : Her childhood was uniquely traumatic.

Before she was even in preschool, Pike was a rape victim. Her grandmother's boyfriend targeted her for years, sexually assaulting the child until she was in kindergarten, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

At the age of 11, a neighbor raped Pike in an attack that caused an infection and preceded a suicide attempt at the age of 12. And at 17, a stranger attacked Pike while she was out walking, forced her into the woods, and raped her, court records say.