CELEBRATE: Congolese Rape Victims finally have Day in Court!

A panel of UN human rights and Congolese officials is set to hear directly from victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The victims of sexual violence including mass rapes recently committed in the eastern part of the DR Congo will tell their stories starting on Thursday. UN Radio’s Charles Appel reports.

The panel will hold a series of hearings in various provinces throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo with survivors of sexual violence.

They will include some of the 500 women who were raped by members of armed groups in the Walikale territory between July 30 and August 3 of this year.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, says the panel will examine how victims can be better served by the judicial system.

“Ultimately, this project will provide a much needed advocacy tool not only for developing a reparations mechanism for all victims of sexual violence, but also for addressing the many weaknesses in the judicial system that affect prosecution of this crime in the DRC.”

Ms. Pillay says her office stands ready to assist both the victims and the DRC government.

Thanks to:  www.unmultimedia.org