SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN NORTH KIVU (DRC)
Authors & affiliation
BV Lokomba, K Kayembe, R Tozin, Marleen Temmerman
Abstract
BAKGROUND Despite the achievement of a formal peace agreement and it first democratic elections in 2006, fighting between militia groups and FARDC continues in the eastern provinces of DRC. Sexual violence (SV) has become a banal phenomenon in these areas; it is committed mostly with impunity and appears to be an inevitable consequence of the recurrent armed conflict. The objectives of this report are to document the profile of victims of SV, the perpetrators, its physical and social consequences. METHODS We consulted files of 202 victims of sexual violence who attended at the Reference Hospital of Rutshuru, in North Kivu during 2 periods (2007 and 2008) of Kunda's rebellion. RESULTS The mean age of victims was 24.1 years (6-58 years). The sexual assault occurred in the forest (68.3%), at home (18.3%) and in the fields (13.4%); it was committed by armed persons of both government and rebellion armies (80.7%) and by civilians (19.3%). Physical and social consequences were: vaginal discharge (62.4%), genital injuries (20.8%), divorce (9%), and unwanted pregnancies (4.9%). CONCLUSION Urgent measures are needed to address the health consequences of SV, to prevent it and to stop the impunity of the perpetrators.
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