This is an intense situation and the most important thing is to get your girlfriend treatment that can soothe PTSD symptoms and teach her about healthy relationships . EMDR therapy might be especially helpful for trauma . Unfortunately our judicial system is not set up for these situations . There ' s no guarantee that she will be treated with respect , and there ' s a real risk of aggravating the damage . It also sounds like she ' s emotionally attached to him , which could make reporting an extremely painful experience . As frustrating as it is , you need to focus on helping her before even thinking about justice for her abuser . This type of abuse leaves profound mental scars . The first step is getting distance from her father , and not just geographically . Regardless of what you choose to do , I hope it helps her feel comfortable and safe . This is an overwhelmingly hard situation , and you both deserve credit for trying to break her out of it and create a better life .