Web pages about "Stop Violence Against Women"

Major step forward in Paraguay's investigations into sexual slavery of girls

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:18:07 +0100

Investigations into girls subjected to sexual slavery in Paraguay during the Stroessner dictatorship have taken a major step forward thanks to one woman's testimony.

This in turn has encouraged other women to come forward and testify about their experiences of sexual slavery, giving greater weight to the Truth and Justice Commission's investigation.

Julia Ozorio Gamecho was the first woman to come forward and talk to the Commission about how she was subjected to sexual slavery by the military during the dictatorship.

The Commission is investigating thousands of human rights violations which happened while Stroessner was in office, from 1954 to 1989.

These violations include sexual violence against women. Girls as young as seven are believed to have been snatched from their homes and "groomed" to serve high ranking military officials.

Ozorio's testimony helped the Commission to confirm details about a location where girls were taken after they had been snatched from their families. There they were forcibly prepared for their sexual enslavement to high ranking members of the military.

Yudith Rolón of the Commission said: "We value and admire her courage in telling us what happened to her, events which have left her with irreparable trauma, from both the physical and psychological torture she suffered".

"She corroborated events that the Truth and Justice Commission had already been investigating. We had heard of many cases but no-one had wanted to give testimony, as she has done".

These testimonies had previously been almost impossible to collect due to fear of reprisals. Some of the officials to whom the women were enslaved are believed to still be linked to the military.

A former military official who helped Ozorio to survive while detained, also came forward to present his account of the case to the Truth and Justice Commission on Tuesday 12 August.

Ozorio's case will be included in the Commission's final report which will be presented to the government and civil society on 28 August. Her testimony will be one of over 2,000 detailing human rights violations committed during the Stroessner dictatorship.

The report will also cover the period from Paraguay's transition to democracy, to the enactment of the law that created the Commission on 6 October 2003.

Ozorio was 13 when she was snatched from her home in the town of Nueva Italia in Paraguay's central department.

She was taken by a colonel (vice-commander of the Presidential Escort Regiment) and two other soldiers. For the next two years she was held in captivity and subjected to sexual slavery by the colonel.

According to Ozorio, girls who cried a lot or who were no longer of use – for example when they reached 15 or 16 years of age and were no longer considered desirable - were sometimes killed.

Ozorio was freed by her captor because she had reached the age of 15 and he was no longer interested in her. Ozorio said her life was spared because she reminded her captor of his dead daughter. She went to Argentina to seek safety and has lived in Buenos Aires ever since.

Thirty-seven years later she returned to Paraguay to present her book, A Rose and a Thousand Soldiers (Una rosa y mil soldados), her story of what happened to her during the two years she was subjected to sexual slavery.

In the book, Ozorio writes about the night she was abducted: "He said these words to me: 'many girls have passed through here. Some left alive, others weren't so lucky'...he looked at me for a long time and said: 'you are a very pretty girl - please don't make me kill you'…

"The first night was horrible. No human words exist that can express the pain of that night...my body was covered with bruises and bite marks. A deep wound bled from my breast."

After her testimony to the Commission, Ozorio reported receiving two anonymous threatening telephone calls. The Commission has offered her protection as a result of these threats.

As well as telling her painful story and raising awareness of what she and many other young girls experienced, Ozorio now also hopes to set up a foundation to protect girls who have been victims of sexual violence.

General Stroessner came to power by overthrowing civilian president Dr Federico Chávez in 1954.

During his rule, thousands were victims of grave human rights abuses including arbitrary detentions, torture, "disappearances" and forced exile.

Some of these abuses were committed as part of Operation Condor, a plan coordinated by the military governments of the Southern Cone - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay - to eliminate their "opponents" during the 1970s and 1980s.

Stroessner died on 16 August 2006 in Brasilia, where he had been living in exile since 1989. He was 93.

CASE STUDIES Mexico: Women’s struggle for safety and justice

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:29:50 +0100

Marcela
On 31 August 2005, Marcela Blumenkron Romero’s former husband broke into her home in Hermosillo, Sonora state, and stabbed her. The attack left her paralyzed for four months and with serious long-term nerve damage and limited mobility.

On numerous occasions over the years, she had made emergency calls to police reporting threats and harassment by her former husband and she filed more than 10 complaints at the public prosecutor’s office. Every time, she was refused protection. Prosecutors advised her to resolve the issue directly with her former husband, whom she divorced 13 years ago.

The former husband was arrested after the stabbing and prosecuted for attempted murder; no charges were brought for years of threats and sexual harassment. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay damages to Marcela but he was declared insolvent. Marcela never received any compensation and has to maintain her three children with a small monthly fund.

Marcela fears for her safety when he is released from prison as she believes he will kill her.

Teresa
In October 2006, Teresa filed a complaint for physical assault against her brother with the public prosecutor’s office in the community of Alpuyeca, Morelos state.

The official received her complaint while holding a separate conversation on a telephone and concluded by telling her that it would be best if she and her brother could be reconciled. She was given a summons to deliver to her brother requiring him to attend a reconciliation meeting. The brother subsequently went to the prosecutor and struck a verbal agreement with his sister. Teresa was told: “Don’t file an official complaint. He’s your brother. He is going to cause problems.” The agreement was that the brother would cover the bill for the private doctor Teresa had seen for treatment of her injuries and the price of a new pair of glasses to replace the pair he had broken.

No official medical report was taken of Teresa’s injuries, nor was the case registered, despite the fact that the brother had attacked her on previous occasions.

Mericia
Mericia Hernández López, a young teacher and mother of a six-month-old baby, disappeared from her home on the outskirts of Oaxaca City on 21 August 2005. Her sister, Adela Hernández, concerned at her disappearance, visited the home Mericia Hernández shared with her husband. He said she had left to do a teaching job, but did not know where or when she would return. Adela Hernández tried to file a complaint with the local public prosecutor’s office, but was told not to worry as her sister would return home soon. On Adela Hernández’ insistence, an investigation was finally opened eight days after Mericia Hernández went missing.

Adela Hernández described to Amnesty International how it was left to her to approach neighbours for information and evidence. Some had reportedly witnessed incidents of violence against Mericia Hernández but were reluctant to come forward, fearing reprisals. Neither the police nor prosecutors interviewed these witnesses. Seven months after her disappearance forensic scientists examined Mericia Hernández’s home, but found no evidence. Prosecutors told Adela Hernández that there was nothing more they could do.

Mericia Hernández’s whereabouts remain unknown at the time of writing. Her family continues to struggle to get a full investigation into her disappearance.

Women in Mexico let down by failures in justice system

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:38:19 +0100

Thousands of Mexican women who face violence in their homes are being put at risk of further abuse by a justice system that often fails to take their safety seriously, according to a new Amnesty International report.

Mexico: Women's struggle for justice and safety: Violence in the family in Mexico says that one in four women in Mexico has suffered abuse at the hands of their partner.

Susana, a 24-year-old mother of two from Sonora state, faced 10 years of physical and psychological violence. Her husband imprisoned her in her home for long periods, and she suffered broken bones in her hand, a fractured nose and a dislocated collarbone.

Susana filed numerous complaints at the local public prosecutor’s office, but each time was told that it was not a crime and there was nothing they could do. When a case was finally opened and her husband charged, he was detained for just one day before being released on bail. Susana and her family remained in hiding until being referred to a women’s shelter.

Reporting abuse
Women face a range of obstacles when trying to report cases of domestic violence, including:

the refusal of officials to accept complaints
deficient investigations
poor enforcement of protective measures

Women who find the courage to report the abuse are often treated with indifference and have to prove they are subject to violence. In many cases, officials even ask them to deliver summons to their aggressor.

Law to stop violence against women
Mexico passed a law to counter violence against women 18 months ago, The General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free From Violence. Since then, many states have approved similar legislation. These are positive first steps, but unless the law is properly funded and enforced, it will make little difference to the lives of the many women at risk.

Amnesty International has called on Mexico’s federal and state authorities to:

Make a public commitment to implement the new laws guaranteeing women’s rights to safety and justice and to make sure that there is sufficient funding to put the laws into practice effectively.
Ensure effective access to justice and timely protection measures for women who have suffered violence in the family.

Mexico: Authorities don't take women’s safety seriously

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:54:39 +0100

Thousands of Mexican women who survive violence in their homes are being put at risk of further abuse by a justice system that often fails to take their safety seriously, said Amnesty International in a new report today.

Amnesty International’s report explores the obstacles Mexican women face when trying to report cases of domestic violence – including the refusal of officials to accept complaints, deficient investigations and poor enforcement of protective measures. The report is being published 18 months after Mexico passed a law to counter violence against women.

“Over a year ago, Mexico took the positive step of passing a new law to protect women from violence, but a law will not prevent women from being beaten, raped and abused unless it’s implemented rigorously at the federal and state level,” said Kerrie Howard, Deputy Director for the Americas Programme at Amnesty International.

Violence against women in the home in Mexico – as in many other parts of the world -- is endemic. According to a national survey conducted in 2006, one in four women have suffered abuse at the hands of their partner and 82 per cent of women decided not to report it.

Women who find the courage to report the abuse are often treated with indifference and have to prove they are subject to violence. In many cases officials even ask them to deliver summons to their aggressor.

On 31 August 2005, Marcela’s former husband broke into her house in the state of Sonora and stabbed her, leaving her paralyzed for four months. Over the years, Marcela had made over 10 complaints to the public prosecutor’s office about the abuse she was suffering but every time she was advised to resolve the issue directly with her partner. One time, she was told “when you come with a bruise, we’ll do something”. After the stabbing, Marcela’s former husband was prosecuted for attempted murder and sentenced to 10 years but is now appealing the length of his sentence. Marcela is scared that when he is released he will find her and kill her.

“What women in Mexico need is to have their complaints of abuse taken seriously and to be able to access justice as well as effective protection mechanisms such as refuges” said Kerrie Howard.

The General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free From Violence was enacted in February 2007. Since then, many states have approved similar legislation but not yet taken concrete measures to ensure the law is properly funded and enforced.

Amnesty International is calling on Mexico’s federal and state authorities to:

Make a public commitment to prioritise the implementation of the 2007 legislation to protect women from violence and invest the necessary funds to put it into practice.
Investigate and publish findings on why reporting, prosecution and conviction rates for violence against women remain so low and take specific measures to tackle obstacles identified by these investigations.

A copy of the report “Women’s struggle for safety and justice: violence in the family in Mexico” will be available from Friday 1 August 2008 at 16:00 GMT on : http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR41/021/2008/en

FACTS AND FIGURES - Mexico: Women’s struggle for safety and justice

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:01:23 +0100

Violence against women
Almost one in four women in Mexico has suffered physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. (Encuesta Nacional sobre la Dinámica de las Relaciones en los Hogares, 2006)

82 per cent of women victims of violence did not report it to the authorities. (Encuesta Nacional sobre la Dinámica de las Relaciones en los Hogares, 2006)

There are 60 shelters throughout Mexico. Thirty-six are run by civil society organizations and the rest by state or municipal authorities.

Investigations and convictions
In Chiapas, 90 per cent of reports of violence against women are referred for conciliation because government officials concluded the victim’s injuries were insufficiently serious or the victim was not determined to seek prosecution. (System for Integral Family Development)

In 2005 in Ciudad Juárez, 177 local public officials were implicated by federal investigators in the negligent criminal investigation of the murder of nearly 300 women over a 10-year period. Virtually none of those implicated has been held to account.

In San Salvador Atenco, police were accused of torture and sexual assaults against at least 26 female detainees between 3 and 4 May 2006. Despite state and federal level investigations, to date only six officials have been charged, all for minor offences.

Legislation
The General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free from Violence was enacted in February 2007. Since then, many states have approved similar legislation but not yet taken concrete measures to ensure the law is properly funded and enforced.

Women of Liberia: Fighting for Peace

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:40:37 +0100

Video placeholder

Liberia experienced conflict between 1989 and 1997 and again between 1999 and 2003. It is estimated that women made up over 30% of the fighting force, playing roles as commanders, spies, cooks and porters.

Women took up arms for many reasons, such as avenging death and to protect themselves and their relatives.

The consequences of the violence and abuses committed against women during the conflict are devastating. Many continue to suffer physical and mental effects from their experiences, and often do not have access to adequate medical care. Often widowed or abandoned, a number of women have found themselves having to shoulder considerable burdens with little support, few skills, and no job or education.

Following the conflict, a disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration process began. The process aimed to ensure women’s participation and address their special needs. In reality, the programme failed meet the needs of a large number of women and girls. Thousands of women and girls didn’t participate in the process for reasons such as misinformation about the process, and manipulation by commanders.

Women and girls continue to be subject to human rights abuses and are at great risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence, such as exploitation and abuse in their schools, homes and communities.

Rape in Burundi – demand justice now!

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:31:20 +0100

13 year old Kaneza (not her real name) from the province of Bujumbura rural was raped by a 22-year-old man in September 2007. Kaneza didn’t tell anyone about the rape, until she found that she was pregnant. She told her uncle's wife, who immediately reported the rape to the police.

The alleged perpetrator was arrested and questioned, and confessed to the rape. Kaneza’s family thought that this would be enough to prosecute the perpetrator, though he was released several days later.

Local human rights activists have reported that the father of the perpetrator approached the Public Prosecutor of Bujumbura Rural and proposed an out-of-court settlement.

When the family spoke to the Prosecutor of Bujumbura Rural, he forced them to agree to an "amicable settlement" and cease legal proceedings. Kaneza’s family complained to the judicial authorities in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi.

The Prosecutor was then ordered by them to re-arrest the alleged perpetrator. He didn’t do this, but instead detained Kaneza for several hours and threatened her.

Kaneza recently gave birth to a child. The man who allegedly raped her remains free.

Rape is widespread throughout Burundi, though many cases, like that of Kaneza, remain unprosecuted. Women are often too afraid to even report the crime out of fear that their families and communities will reject them.

The justice system is flawed. The police and judiciary often fail to investigate reports of rape and other sexual assaults or prosecute those accused of committing such offences.

Sometimes victims are forced to withdraw their complaints and enter into negotiated settlements with the perpetrator or his family outside of the formal judicial system. Sometimes the victim is also forced to marry her attacker.

Write to the Public Prosecutor in Burundi to demand that the alleged rape of Kaneza is investigated and the suspect brought to justice.

Venezuela must implement new law on violence against women

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:25:23 +0100

In a new report published on Wednesday 16 July, Amnesty International urged the Venezuelan authorities to show the political will and provide the resources needed to ensure the new law on violence against women will not just exist on paper.

“The 2007 Venezuelan law to protect women from violence is an example for the rest of the region but it will be useless for women unless it’s fully implemented,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Americas Programme.

“Implementation of the law means more shelters, special tribunals and training for those who have to deal with these crimes.”

Amnesty International’s report, Venezuela: "The law is there, let's use it" Ending domestic violence in Venezuela, looks at the reality of domestic violence for women in Venezuela.

Thousands of women in Venezuela suffer beatings, verbal abuse and rape at home. In 2007 alone, 4,484 women called a helpline set up by INAMUJER (National Institute of Women’s Affairs) to report abuse. Local organizations, however, estimate that only 1 in 9 women report violence to the authorities.

Many of the women who talked to Amnesty International in Venezuela said that lack of financial independence, information, insufficient shelters – only two in a country of over 27 million inhabitants -- and a poorly resourced police and judicial infrastructure, make it hard for them to feel safe.

“Thousands of women in Venezuela live in a constant state of fear of violence from their partners, fear for their lives and the safety of their children. When a safety net is not provided, many women feel that they have no choice but to stay with their abuser or to be homeless and unable to support themselves or their children,” said Guadalupe Marengo.

In March 2007, the government passed a law that defines violence against women as a human rights violation and reaffirms the responsibility of the state and its officials to eradicate it. The law replaced one passed in 1999 that, although positive, failed to be fully implemented.

It sets out measures to prevent violence against women, to protect women at risk and to punish those responsible. It also requires the authorities to implement a far reaching programme to raise awareness and challenge public attitudes which condone or conceal this under-reported crime.

“Venezuela’s government needs to step up to the challenge set by the 2007 law.”

Venezuela: Political will and resources needed to make law reality

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:58:21 +0100

(Caracas) In a new report published today, Amnesty International urged the Venezuelan authorities to show the political will and provide the resources needed to ensure the new law on violence against women will not just exist on paper.

“The 2007 Venezuelan law to protect women from violence is an example for the rest of the region but it will be useless for women unless it’s fully implemented,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Americas Programme.

“Implementation of the law means more shelters, special tribunals and training for those who have to deal with these crimes.”

Amnesty International’s report looks at the reality of domestic violence for women in Venezuela.
Thousands of women in Venezuela suffer beatings, verbal abuse and rape at home. In 2007 alone, 4,484 women called a helpline set up by INAMUJER (National Institute of Women’s Affairs) to report abuse. Local organizations, however, estimate that only 1 in 9 women report violence to the authorities.

Many of the women who talked to Amnesty International in Venezuela said that lack of financial independence, information, insufficient shelters – only two in a country of over 27 million inhabitants -- and a poorly resourced police and judicial infrastructure, make it hard for them to feel safe.

“Thousands of women in Venezuela live in a constant state of fear of violence from their partners, fear for their lives and the safety of their children. When a safety net is not provided, many women feel that they have no choice but to stay with their abuser or to be homeless and unable to support themselves or their children,” said Guadalupe Marengo.

In March 2007, the government passed a law that defines violence against women as a human rights violation and reaffirms the responsibility of the state and its officials to eradicate it. The law replaced one passed in 1999 that, although positive, failed to be fully implemented.

It sets out measures to prevent violence against women, to protect women at risk and to punish those responsible. It also requires the authorities to implement a far reaching programme to raise awareness and challenge public attitudes which condone or conceal this under-reported crime.

“Venezuela’s government needs to step up to the challenge set by the 2007 law.”

A copy of the report “‘The law is there, let’s use it – ending domestic violence in Venezuela’”, will be available from Wednesday 16 July 2008 at 22:00 GMT on http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR53/001/2008/en

END/

Venezuela: Ending domestic violence – Facts and figures

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:02:22 +0100

Venezuela: Ending domestic violence – Facts and figures

In 2005, 36,777 women reported abuse by partners or former partners to NGOs – an average of one woman every 15 minutes. (Violencia contra las Mujeres 2005, Noviembre del 2006, AVESA / Centro de Estudios de la Mujer de la UCV / FUNDAMUJER.)

Local organizations estimate that only 1 in 9 women report violence to the authorities.

In the first six months of 2007, 490 investigations were opened into reports of violence against women. (Division of Research and Protection in the field of Child, Youth, Women and the Family of the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Unit)

Between January and December 2007 the majority of cases of violence against women were perpetrated by their current husband or partner (31.95% and 36.57%, respectively) and to a lesser extent by their ex-partners or other family members.” (INAMUJER)

In 1999 INAMUJER set up a national confidential emergency hotline – 0800Mujeres – which gives free advice to women experiencing gender-based violence. Between 1999 and December 2007 the hotline received 29,168 calls throughout the country, 4, 484 of those were received in 2007 alone.

Venezuela – a country of over 27 million inhabitants – has only two shelters for women victims of violence.