The verdict is in for the largest rape trial ever held in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of the 39 soldiers accused of raping at least 135 women and girls, two were convicted and 13 were cleared. The remaining men were convicted of theft.
According to the United Nations, both the government and rebel groups have long used rape and sexual violence as weapons of war. A report in April released by the U.N. human rights office in Congo estimates that as many as 46 women are raped every hour in the DRC.
Elaisha Stokes has been covering the trial for GlobalPost and joins Here & Now’s Robin Young with details.
- Read Elaisha Stokes’ report on the rape trial
- UN urges DR Congo to end impunity for ‘widespread’ sexual violence
Guest
- Elaisha Stokes, GlobalPost correspondent and a 2014 International Women’s Media Foundation Reporting Fellow. She tweets @ElaishaStokes.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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