Survivor builds AI app to help others recognize abuse, document evidence, and find support

RICHMOND, Va. — The need is widespread. More than one in three women and more than one in six men in the United States have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, CBS6 News Anchor GeNienne Samuels spoke with Legali AI founder and CEO Irawati Puteri and the company's clinical advisor, licensed clinical social worker and trauma therapist Sean Snyder, about how the technology is designed to support survivors.

For Puteri, the mission is personal.

"I got assaulted and abused, and I didn't really realize," Puteri said. "And that was with someone that I trusted, or I thought was love."

Puteri said she experienced abuse at 17 but did not have the words to identify it until she was 26. She described financial manipulation, isolation and coercive control — experiences she did not initially understand as abuse.

That difficulty recognizing what was happening helped inspire Lea, a companion powered by artificial intelligence.

Recognizing abuse that leaves no marks

Puteri said survivors may struggle to identify abuse when it does not involve visible injuries.

"But it is the coercive control, the isolation, the financial manipulation," Puteri said.

Lea is designed to help users describe their experiences in their own words, recognize potential patterns of abuse and keep dated records, according to Puteri. Those records can include notes, messages and screenshots, which can be organized to share with an attorney, advocate or other professional when the survivor is ready.

Puteri said one goal is to reduce the burden of repeatedly explaining traumatic experiences to different people while seeking help.

"We want to make sure that they have a reliable record that they can just forward to these experts or professionals," Puteri said.

The app is intended to support those conversations, rather than replace the professionals involved.

'First aid' during a crisis

Snyder described Lea's purpose as having two layers: helping survivors prepare to navigate legal processes and offering emotional support along the way.

"So it's almost like legal first aid, where what do you do in the midst of this kind of crisis situation, right?" Snyder said.

There is also an emotional component he described as "psychological first aid" — helping someone consider how to care for themselves and seek support.

Snyder said the team is developing additional resources, including resilience coaches and connections to therapists. The goal, he said, is to provide timely support based on what a survivor is experiencing.

He also emphasized the role isolation can play in abusive relationships. "People are very lonely, and that's what reinforces cycles of abuse, right? Is that loneliness and social isolation," Snyder said. "Even just knowing that there is a lifeline out there, right, is, I think, also very empowering."

Privacy features and access

According to Puteri, Lea includes an encrypted, PIN-locked vault for records and evidence. A Quick Exit feature allows users to leave the app quickly, while Disguise Mode changes its appearance.

Puteri said Lea supports 15 languages and is designed to help users move at their own pace. It does not provide legal advice and is not a substitute for an attorney, therapist or emergency services.

Readers can learn more at lea.legali.ai or find Lea by Legali AI in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

For Puteri, the purpose extends beyond organizing evidence. The work, she said, is about "basically hand holding them so that they feel like they're not alone throughout the process."

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