Lara Barassi is an Italian exchange student, the older sister of Emilia Barassi, and a rape victim of host parent Richard Matthews, along with Emilia.
History[]
Lara and Emilia were met by Richard during an exchange student program. To isolate them and gain full custody, Richard raped them both, Emilia with Richard's fingers, and told them their father raped them like that to get him imprisoned. It worked, as when Lara was raped first, she told Emilia, and the Emilia was raped, they charged and testified against their father, and he was convicted. Their mother Allesandra was taken from them, and Richard had the girls immigrated into the U.S. to live with him and his wife Mary. Richard would regularly rape and molest the girls for years, often on camera and with Mary watching through a hole in the bedroom wall. Mary was reluctant but humiliated, thus the entire house never told and the sisters believed Richard "loved" them and their father "raped" them.
When Emilia was raped by cabbie Oscar Groves on her way back from her friend Tommy Burke's party, an investigation started. The detectives quickly arrested Groves, but Richard was found out as well. Mary and the sisters were singled out, where they all gave their accounts. Richard was arrested and fully confessed when evidence was found, claiming he "loved" the girls coming in and out of the Matthews house to be sexually abused, and insulting Mary. Richard then committed suicide. Mary was released due to her testimony, but Lara was devastated about her family's destruction and her rape trauma. She nearly died from a suicide attempt with an overdose of pills, but she was rescued in time when her stomach was pumped. Emilia and Lara were returned to Allesandra, where they worked to exonerate their father and repair their family to bring them together again. (SVU: "Exchange")