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NICARAGUA - STOP THE RAPE &
SEXUAL ABUSE OF GIRLS - REPORT
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slideshow: Listen to their Voices
and Act (click 'show info' for captions)
25 November 2010
The Nicaraguan authorities must eradicate rape and
widespread sexual abuse of girls, Amnesty International has said in a new
report.
Listen to their Voice and Act: Stop the
Rape and Sexual Abuse of Girls in Nicaragua follows the experiences of survivors as
they try to overcome the barriers which obstruct their access to justice and
recovery services. The report, part of Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity
campaign, reveals through testimonies how the state does not sufficiently help
survivors to rebuild their lives after sexual violence.
“Every day girls in
“It is time for the authorities to show the same courage
as the brave survivors who shared their testimonies with us and break the
silence which surrounds sexual abuse.”
According to police statistics, between 1998 and 2008,
more than 14,000 cases were reported. Two thirds of the victims were under the
age of 17.
The report, launched to coincide with International Day
for the Elimination of Violence against Women, documents how Nicaraguan society
stigmatizes victims of sexual abuse and how sex is still a taboo subject,
inhibiting girls from speaking out about their ordeals.
Relatives and people in a position of power are the most
commonly reported perpetrators of sexual violence against girls. The home is
frequently a dangerous place and many girls who are suffering sexual abuse at
the hands of their relatives are put under pressure to keep silent.
The report also documents how Nicaraguan society
stigmatizes victims of sexual abuse and how sex is still a taboo subject,
inhibiting girls from speaking out about their ordeals.
The absence of government programmes to raise public
awareness about sexual violence and change social attitudes means that it is
often the victim and not the abuser who is blamed.
Girls who do find the strength to report rape or sexual
abuse often find that instead of being treated with care and professionalism,
they encounter police officers, prosecutors and judges who do not adhere to
national and international rules governing the treatment of victims of sexual
abuse.
Despite the existence in
Many Nicaraguan girls also struggle to cover the costs of
travelling to and from court appointments, hospital appointments or forensic
institutes
“Nicaraguan justice should serve all people – not just
those with money and power. The government must send a clear message that
sexual violence is never the fault of the rape victim; that perpetrators will
be brought to justice and that survivors will be given the support they need to
heal,” said Esther Major.
“Too many girls are dropping out of school, giving up on
work or even attempting suicide. They need to be supported to leave behind the
traumas of their childhood”.
Some rape survivors suffer the additional trauma of
finding out they are pregnant as a consequence of the rape.
The report shows how for girls who wish to continue with
the pregnancy, there is currently no support to help care for the baby or
enable the survivor to return to school or work.
In addition, the current Nicaraguan government
criminalised all forms of abortion in 2008. This has serious consequences for
survivors who do not wish to continue with their pregnancy.
The law now compels girls, under threat of imprisonment,
to continue with their pregnancy after being raped, even if the pregnancy poses
a risk to her life or health. For a girl who has already been denied any
control over her own body by the rapist, the current law is unbearably cruel,
“All that young victims of rape and sexual abuse demand
is that their right to be free from sexual violence is protected by the
Nicaraguan government, and that they are supported so they can overcome the
physical and psychological trauma caused by such acts of violence. This is
“We are asking the Nicaraguan government to put an end to
sexual violence and ensure that it does not become the event that defines the
rest of survivor’s lives”, said Esther Major.
In
The figures of reported rapes are all the more alarming
given that in
The research for this report was conducted between 2008,
2009 and 2010. Among the more than 130 people interviewed for this report were,
35 girls and young women between the ages of 10 and 20 who had been raped, 10
mothers of rape victims, experts who help the victims of sexual abuse and
provide psychological help, as well as policewomen, members of parliament and
representatives of the government.
In October 2010, the UN Committee for the Rights of the
Child expressed its concerns about the “high level of child abuse and neglect,
including sexual abuse and of domestic and gender-based violence” in
This report is part of Amnesty
International’s Demand Dignity campaign
which aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global
poverty. The campaign mobilises people all over the world to demand that
governments, corporations and others who have power listen to the voices of
those living in poverty and recognise and protect their rights. For more
information visit the Demand Dignity website.
The report is also part of the Amnesty International’s 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender violence which begins on 25th November and will focus on the theme of sexual and reproductive rights. You can find out more about the campaign at http://livewire.amnesty.org .