listen to their voices and act stop the rape and sexual ... · long live the revolution!"...

Rape and sexual abuse are widespread in Nicaragua, and the majority ofvictims are young. More than two thirds of all rapes reported between 1998and 2008 were committed against girls under the age of 17.

Young survivors of sexual violence face daunting obstacles in speaking outabout the crimes committed against them. Information on where to get help is difficult to find and many young rape survivors are rejected by their familiesand communities. The stigma associated with sexual crimes in Nicaraguameans that it is often the survivor – not the abuser – who is blamed.

For those girls who report the crime to the police, the fight to get justice andto rebuild their hopes and dreams is not an easy one. The justice system oftenfails them at every step, from reporting to investigation to court hearing.

The vitally important task of providing young rape survivors with thepsychological and o ther support they need is carried out by NGOs. Theirsupport can make the difference between despair and hope for survivors.Despite this, the Nicaraguan government gives no financial support to NGOs providing these crucial services.

Rape, particularly the rape of young girls, often only comes to light when itresults in pregnancy. Since 2008, abortion has been a criminal offence inNicaragua. All abortion in all circumstances is banned, no matter how youngthe rape victim or how serious the risks posed by the pregnancy to her life or health. Girls who give birth as a result of rape have little or no state supportto put their lives back on track.

This exhibition tells the stories of some of the young rape survivors, their mothers and support workers, who shared their stories with AmnestyInternational. First and foremost, they wanted to break the silence surroundingthe crimes committed against them.

Their courage and strength are inspirational. Listen to their voices, and act on their words.

LISTEN TO THEIRVOICES AND ACTSTOP THE RAPEAND SEXUALABUSE OF GIRLSIN NICARAGUA

FREEDOM FROM SEXUAL VIOLENCEIS A HUMAN RIGHT


Child street sellers, Managua.

The Central American state ofNicaragua is one of the poorestcountries in the Americas. Nearlyhalf of the population (48.3 percent) live in poverty and one in every five children suffers fromstunted growth due to malnutrition.

© Amnesty International (photo: Grace Gonzalez)


Woman and child, Managua.

The government has implemented anumber of anti-poverty programmesand improved access to ante-natalhealth care and education. However,the issue of sexual violence lags farbehind on the government agenda.Rape and sexual abuse of girls iswidespread in Nicaragua, and inmany ways remains a hidden crime.



Young girls doing their homework,Bluefields.

More than two thirds of all rapesreported between 1998 and 2008were committed against girls under17. In almost half of all rape cases,the girls were under 15.



A government poster beside aCatholic cathedral in Managuareads: "Christian, Socialist, InSolidarity! 31 Years of Triumphs,Long Live the Revolution!"

Despite clear evidence of widespreadsexual abuse in Nicaragua, thegovernment has chosen not toprioritize tackling this grave humanrights violation. There is no cleargovernment plan to prevent sexualviolence against girls or to ensurejustice and reparation for childvictims so that they can rebuild their lives.



Some of the thousands of solidaritymessages sent by AmnestyInternational members across the world to nine Nicaraguanwomen’s and children’s humanrights defenders.

The nine women were subjected to an apparently baseless legalinvestigation after a Catholic Church-backed NGO filed a complaint againstthem for their work to promote and protect women’s and girls’ rights.They remained under investigation for two and a half years – muchlonger than the time permitted byNicaraguan law. The investigation was eventually closed in April 2010with no charges brought.



A psychologist at the entrance to a women’s centre run by the“Movement of Women,Chinandega”. The sign reads:

"We provide free legal andpsychological support to women,children and adolescents who suffer:

n Physical violence (beatings,bruises, wounds);

n Sexual violence (rapes, abuse,touching, groping);

n Psychological violence (insults,shouting, threats, depression).

Women, don’t be afraid, report your abuser.”

Women’s centres play a key role in providing help and support to women and children survivors of violence.

© Amnesty International


Woman and baby at home inBluefields.

The home should be a place whereyoung children and teenagers aresafe. However, in many cases thehome is where girls are mostvulnerable to sexual violence.

“Rape and sexual abuse ofgirls aged between 13 and 15 – these are the cases wemost commonly receive hereat our centre. Who is themost common perpetrator?The vast majority are family members, uncles,cousins, stepfathers, fathers,grandfathers.” Director of a centre that provides support to victims of domestic and other violence,Granada, Nicaragua



A young rape survivor draws herhopes for the future.

“My father was the one whoabused me. He started torape me from when I was 9 until I was 14. I wasterrified of him… Sometimeshe would hit me so much Icould not go to school thenext day… He wanted me to just stay in the house…And he abused me [sexually]as many times as he wanted.I couldn’t say anythingbecause I was so frightenedof him.” Connie, aged 17, Managua



A young survivor of sexual violenceat a women’s and girls’ centre.

There is little understanding orawareness of the problem of sexualviolence in Nicaragua. Schools arenot required to teach children aboutsexual abuse or how to seek help, so in the majority of cases, childrenhave little idea of their rights or howto protect themselves.

The government has no publiccampaign to raise awareness of the problem or reduce the stigmathat child rape survivors face.



“People said things to me,and as he [the abuser] wasan Evangelical priest, no onebelieved me. Instead, theysaid ‘Why are you sayingthese things?’ This reactionhurts me even now.”Linda, aged 12

The lack of government campaignsto educate the public on issues ofsexual violence against girls meansthat often it is the victim who isblamed rather than the abuser, and that the survivor is not believed.

The sustained support of a non-governmental centre for women andchildren helped ensure that Linda’sabuser was sentenced to 30 years inprison. However, for many survivorsthe outcome is very different.



Young girl carrying water along astreet in Managua.

“Sexual violence and abuseaffects children from allclasses of society. Theprincipal risk factor forsuffering sexual abuse isbeing female. Where socialclass makes a difference is in accessing justice.” A psychiatrist in Managua, with extensiveexperience of providing psychological support to survivors of rape



Officers at a Police Station forWomen and Children, Bluefields.

Specialized Police Stations forWomen and Children have been set up to make the justice systemmore accessible. Across the countrythere are now 37 such policestations, but this is not enough tocover the whole country and manyare under-resourced.

Some committed police officers payvictims’ and witnesses’ transportcosts out of their own pocket. Inother cases, survivors and theircarers have reported insensitivebehaviour from under-trainedofficers. Sometimes, proceduralmistakes by poorly trained policeofficers can result in cases beingdismissed when they come to court.



“The police told me to stopcrying, that there was noreason for me to cry, thatwhat I was saying was nottrue. I felt very bad when the police said I was lying,because I would never lieabout things like this.” Alejandra, 12-year-old survivor of sexual abuse



A street in Granada.

In some cases, justice officialsrelease alleged perpetrators fromdetention pending trial with nochecks or supervision.

“We had a recent case of an 11-year-old girl who wasabused. Her attacker wasidentified and detained. Hisdefence lawyer argued thathe was very ill and it wasagreed that he could bereleased on bail and reportto the police stationregularly pending the trial.For two or three weeks hewent to the police station to sign in. The next week he just disappeared.” Lawyer at a women’s centre in Granada



“He was coming out [of the courtroom] and helaughed at me, and when he was at the door he turnedto look at me again and said‘look after her for me’, andthe judge was there, and thepolice behind”. Adriana, mother of Rosmery (pictured here), a 13-year-old rape survivor

Survivors of rape or sexual abusewhose cases get as far as prosecutionoften abandon the case before or during trial because the legalprocess is either too expensive for them, or too traumatic.



The Director of a women’s shelter embraces a young survivor of sexual violence.

A safe place to stay and psychosocialand legal support are essential forsurvivors of sexual violence to feelsafe and begin to rebuild their lives.

Shelters for survivors of domesticabuse and rape in Nicaragua arescarce, particularly those specificallyfor children. There are 10 shelters runby NGOs; they receive no financial orother support from the Nicaraguanauthorities. Non-residential women’sand girls’ centres across the countryalso fill the gaps in state provision byoffering support services.



A women’s centre lawyer supports ayoung survivor of sexual violence asshe tells her story.

“There is a significantdifference in the recovery of those who receivemedical, legal andpsychological supportimmediately compared tothose who do not get anysupport, or where there is a delay in getting support.This is because abuse startsto take its toll on the victimfrom the first moment. It isessential that children aregiven at least a minimumamount of support after this kind of abuse hashappened… Sexual abuse is something that childrenand women who havesuffered it never forget. Itchanges their lives forever.”Psychiatrist at a women’s and girls’ centre in Managua



A woman walking down a street inBluefields.

“There are girls who sit infront of you crying andsaying nothing. They feel thatthey’re letting down theirfamilies if they talk to you about sexual abusebecause of the guilt theyfeel. When you work withthem, they start to tell youeverything that happened –‘What my granddad did, thathe shouldn’t have done.’When recognition starts, the change begins – andmost of all, they stop hidingtheir faces and looking away because they feelashamed or not as good as you – you could compareraising their gaze withraising their spirits andlifting their hopes a little.”A psychiatrist at a women’s and girls’ centre inBluefields



“This is the tree of my life.The roots are everything thathappened to me, and thefruit is what is to come.”A 13-year-old rape survivor drawing her hopesand dreams for the future, at a women’s andgirls’ centre



Schoolgirls walking down a street in León.

Survivors of rape and sexual abusemust be free to make their owndecisions about how to manage theconsequences of rape and begin torebuild their lives. Rape must not be the event which defines the restof their lives.



A woman shop keeper sitting by hergoods in a side street, Bluefields.

Girls who have been made pregnantas a result of rape in Nicaraguacurrently have no choice aboutwhether or not they wish to carry the pregnancy to term. Since 2008,abortion has been criminalized in all circumstances, no matter if a girlor woman is a victim of rape, or ifher life or health is put at risk by a pregnancy.

“I would ask the governmentto allow therapeutic abortion… if they had offered it to me, I would have said no, but it has cost me a lot to accept and take on this responsibility.” Estefany, who was raped at gunpoint at 17 andhad a child as a result



Survivors of sexual violence withtheir carers and support staff at awomen’s centre.


“I would ask that the authorities at least listen towomen and girls who have survived rape.” Psychiatrist working with survivors of rape in Granada

“I would ask that the Police for Women and Childrenhave more respect and take care of us. We are humanbeings and their equals. There are just some littledetails which are different, but we are essentially thesame and we want to be treated with respect.” Connie, survivor of rape from the age of nine and made pregnant at the age of 14 by her father

“[The government] must… make sure that in schoolsthe teacher teaches girls what to do if somethinghappens, and also about sexual health matters.” Alejandra, 12-year-old survivor of sexual abuse

“Their words have power! This is the message girlsmust receive, they must feel, they must know, thattheir words have power.”Director of a centre working with girls and women survivors of violence


Amnesty International Sweden staffand volunteers with signed petitionsto the Nicaraguan authorities.

TAKE ACTION!

Please write to President DanielOrtega Saavedra, urging theNicaraguan authorities to listen to thevoices of young rape survivors, theircarers, and the women’s and girls’centre staff who work with them.

Many thanks, on behalf of all theyoung survivors of sexual violencewho told their stories to AmnestyInternational and who have had thecourage to speak out and to holdonto their hopes for the future.


listen to their voices and act stop the rape and sexual ... · long live the revolution!"...

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