Darfur – Gang Rape of a Fourteen year old Girl
SOAT
On 19 May 2005, three men allegedly from the Popular Police Forces attacked and raped a 14 year old girl (name withheld) belonging to the Beni Halba tribe in Nyala. During the attack which took place at Nyala Valley, the victim was beaten with hands all over her body.
On the same day of the attack, the girl was taken to the hospital for medical examination and the medical report confirmed the girl had been raped and had sustained physical injuries. Following the medical examination, the girl’s family reported the incident to the police in Nyala and a case was lodged against the perpetrators. On 20 May 2005, the three men from the Popular Police Forces were arrested and were identified by the girl as the perpetrators.
The details of the men are as follows:
– Soulieman Ahmed Adam
– Mohamed Awad Fadl Almawala
– Mubarek Alhaj Ali
SOAT lawyers’ network presented the case before the Attorney General who ordered a trial of the accused. On 26 May 2005, the first session before the courts was held. The next court session is scheduled for 2 June 2005.
Whilst SOAT welcomes the arrest and trial of these men, SOAT strongly condemns the continual attack and sexual violence against children perpetrated by and under the control of government agents which the government is either unwilling or unable to control. SOAT has documented and reported to the authorities numerous cases of rape and sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur. In many of the cases, notwithstanding that SOAT has documented and reported the names of alleged perpetrators, very little has thus far been done by government authorities to properly investigate allegations or undertake serious measures to end the culture of impunity which allows these heinous acts to continue. Thus the government of Sudan bears full responsibility for the persistence of widespread rape and sexual abuse in Darfur.
On 3 May 2005, armed officers from Gedel Haboub, North of Nyala attacked four girls and one boy aged six (yrs) 3km northeast of Outash Internally Displaced (IDP) Camp in Nyala. The children were fetching firewood outside the camp. The armed officers flogged the children, and raped two of the girls (names withheld) aged 14 and 12. The other three children escaped and returned to the camp. The two girls identified the perpetrators and the men are now in military intelligence custody with no court session date set.
SOAT calls on the government of Sudan to:
– Immediately cease attacks on civilians and adhere to it commitments under the ceasefire agreement;
– To comply with all UN Security resolutions and the UN commission on Human Rights Resolution which explicitly condemns “the continuation of violence against civilians and sexual violence against women and girls”;
– Investigate all attacks and rapes of women and girls and ensure that the perpetrators are brought before an impartial tribunal and guaranteed procedural rights at all times;
– End impunity for crimes committed by the government security forces;
– Guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
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