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SIERRA LEONE 350 Fifth Ave 34 th Floor New York, N.Y. 10118-3299 http://www.hrw.org (212) 290-4700 Vol. 15, No. 1 (A) – January 2003 I was captured together with my husband, my three young children and other civilians as we were fleeing from the RUF when they entered Jaiweii. Two rebels asked to have sex with me but when I refused, they beat me with the butt of their guns. My legs were bruised and I lost my three front teeth. Then the two rebels raped me in front of my children and other civilians. Many other women were raped in public places. I also heard of a woman from Kalu village near Jaiweii being raped only one week after having given birth. The RUF stayed in Jaiweii village for four months and I was raped by three other wicked rebels throughout this A woman receives psychological and medical treatment in a clinic to assist rape period. victims in Freetown. In January 1999, she was gang-raped by seven revels in her village in northern Sierra Leone. After raping her, the rebels tied her down and placed burning charcoal on her body. (c) 1999 Corinne Dufka/Human Rights -Testimony to Human Rights Watch Watch “WE’LL KILL YOU IF YOU CRY” SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THE SIERRA LEONE CONFLICT 1630 Connecticut Ave, N.W., Suite 500 2nd Floor, 2-12 Pentonville Road 15 Rue Van Campenhout Washington, DC 20009 London N1 9HF, UK 1000 Brussels, Belgium TEL (202) 612-4321 TEL: (44 20) 7713 1995 TEL (32 2) 732-2009 FAX (202) 612-4333 FAX: (44 20) 7713 1800 FAX (32 2) 732-0471 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] January 2003 Vol. 15, No. 1 (A) SIERRA LEONE “WE’LL KILL YOU IF YOU CRY” Sexual Violence in the Sierra Leone Conflict GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................1 DEFINITION OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE, RAPE AND SEXUAL SLAVERY........................................................2 I. SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................................................3 II. RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................................................................6 To the Government of Sierra Leone.......................................................................................................................6 To Members of the African Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)....................6 To Members of the International Community........................................................................................................7 To the Special Court for Sierra Leone....................................................................................................................7 To the Truth and Reconciliation Commission........................................................................................................7 To the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) ...............................................................................8 III. METHODOLOGY..............................................................................................................................................9 IV. BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................................9 The Civil War.........................................................................................................................................................9 Women and Girls under Sierra Leonean Law ......................................................................................................15 The Sierra Leonean Legal system ....................................................................................................................15 Constitutional Status of Women.......................................................................................................................16 Marriage ...........................................................................................................................................................17 Divorce and Death of Husband ........................................................................................................................18 Domestic Violence ...........................................................................................................................................19 Rape as a Crime under General Law................................................................................................................19 Prosecution of Sexual Violence under Customary Law...................................................................................21 Discrimination against Women and Girls in Practice...........................................................................................21 Education..........................................................................................................................................................21 The Workplace .................................................................................................................................................22 In the Political Arena........................................................................................................................................23 Harmful Traditional Practices and Their Impact on Women’s and Girls’ Health............................................23 Societal Attitudes to Sexual Violence against Women and Girls.....................................................................24 V. SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS DURING THE CIVIL WAR ...............................25 Prevalence of Sexual Violence during the War....................................................................................................25 Perpetrators...........................................................................................................................................................26 Rebel Forces .....................................................................................................................................................26 Pro-Government Forces....................................................................................................................................27 Peacekeeping Forces ........................................................................................................................................28 Sexual Violence Committed by the Rebel Forces ................................................................................................28 “Virgination”—Targeting Young Girls............................................................................................................28 Rape Victims Subjected to Multiple Human Rights Abuses............................................................................31 Rape with Objects and Other Sexual Torture, including Sexual Mutilation ....................................................33 Sexual Violence with the Added Element of Violating Cultural Norms..........................................................35 Forced Pregnancies...........................................................................................................................................40 Forced Abortion by West Side Boys ................................................................................................................41 Rape by Female Combatant..............................................................................................................................41 Rape and Other Sexual Violence against Boys and Men by Male and Female Rebels....................................42 Abduction, Sexual Slavery, Forced Labor, and Conscription ..........................................................................42 RUF Officers’ Responsibility for Sexual Violence..........................................................................................45 Sexual Violence Committed by the CDF .............................................................................................................46 Sexual Violence Committed by International Peacekeeping Forces....................................................................48 VI. EFFECTS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE ..............................................................................................................50 Health ...................................................................................................................................................................50 Stigmatization and Shame of Survivors ...............................................................................................................52 VII. INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PROTECTIONS AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE ........................53 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................53 International Humanitarian Law...........................................................................................................................54 Sexual Violence as a Crime against Humanity ....................................................................................................55 Human Rights Law...............................................................................................................................................57 Gender
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