Rwanda: Rape Survivors Find No Justice

Tens of thousands of Rwandan women were raped during the genocide and in the decade since, but only a few perpetrators of sexual violence have been prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today The 58-page report, "Struggling to Survive: Barriers to Justice for Rape Victims in Rwanda," investigates the persistent weaknesses in the Rwandan legal system that hamper the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence. The report also documents the desperate health and economic situation of rape survivors. Many of the women who were raped became infected with HIV. "Women who were raped during the Rwandan genocide and afterwards are still struggling to find justice," said LaShawn Jefferson, executive director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch. "Rwanda's legal system remains ill-equipped to address sexual violence cases." Genocide survivors, including women and girls who were raped in 1994, have not been able to obtain reparations such as monetary compensation or other assistance for the human rights abuses they suffered. [more ]