'Vampire Woman' Helps Domestic Abuse Victims

Last Updated 11:12 08/03/2012
A Mexican woman who turned herself into a vampire look-a-like after suffering years of domestic violence is helping other victims.
Mother-of-four Maria Jose Cristerna, who is known as Vampire Woman, is a 36-year-old former lawyer from a Catholic family background.

Not only is 98% of her body covered with tattoos, but she has had fangs dentally implanted into her mouth and titanium horns surgically placed beneath the skin on her head.

She says she became interested in expressing herself through piercings and tattoos as a way of recovering from the trauma of abuse and now uses her appearance to help raise awareness and help other victims.

"At first people were interested in my looks because it was cool, because it attracts attention and because it's something different," she said.

"But I see it as something good among all the bad, because I'm giving a message. I won't be able to change the thinking of the entire world, but I'm always there to help the people that need it."