The last report of Save the Children is called Unspekeable Crimes, and it gives us chilling facts about the sexual violence against children in conflicts and post-conflict areas around the world.
The document has been prepared coinciding with the G8 meeting in London, where it is planned to address the issue. The NGO has collected information and testimonies from a group of countries affected by conflicts during the last decade, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia or Colombia. We encounter situations that respond perfectly to the heading of the document: 'unqualifiable crimes against children: sexual violence in conflicts', because it is not possible in any way to qualify certain actions against the smallest. It is terrible that under the protection of a conflict situations of such a violent burden against the most unprotected and defenseless occur.
Among the testimonies collected from victims and witnesses, there are stories of children killed after being raped, children kidnapped and abused by armed groups, or children from two years of age who have suffered attacks from civilians, such as teachers or members of their community
The limited data available and the experience of Save the Children on the ground in conflict-affected countries indicates that children - especially girls, but also boys - are often the main victims of sexual violence in conflict-affected countries. In some cases reaching 80%.
It is very difficult to obtain statistics on this type of victims in part because it is a very sensitive issue in all cultures. There is a worldwide taboo about sexual violence. In some countries, victims may be removed from society, punished or even criminalized for what has happened to them, as has been seen in Afghanistan, where children and women who have reported being victims of sexual violence have been accused of having committed a crime and punished or stoned in public.
Indeed, the cultural (or social) taboo about sexual violence against children is a common denominator, no matter if we are in Spain, Colombia, Liberia, Russia, Canada, or whatever country. The criminalization / blaming of the victim so that he does not tell what happened, or to acquire a position of power becomes a powerful 'tool' of control.
Conflicts destroy countries and truncate children's lives
Yolanda Román (responsible for political advocacy of Save the Children), says 'In many conflicts, rapes and violence against children are tools of armed groups to terrorize communities, end opposition or humiliate enemies'. Children are attacked while their families can only watch, helpless, or are forced to see their relatives raped or killed.
The programs for the prevention of sexual violence against children and their recovery aid still do not have the necessary funding. The most recent global figures show that less than a quarter of the budget needed to protect children and women in emergencies is available.
Sexual violence is one of the hidden horrors of war and the damage it entails can ruin many lives. Even if they recover from the psychological effects, many victims are never cured of the rest of their aftermath and are often separated from society.
A petition for world leaders
Save the Children asks for commitment to invest in child protection programs in every humanitarian emergency. It is necessary to ensure that those guilty of committing these crimes are brought to justice strengthening international human rights laws.
The United Nations must have the resources, skills and support necessary to prevent and respond to this problem in conflict situations.
It is precisely this organization that believes that 50% of sexual assaults worldwide are committed against girls under 16. I think that it is not possible to pretend that these situations are not happening, and that those responsible for the protection of children worldwide must find a way to act.
Images | Save the Children Source | Save The Children Official Site | Unspekeable Crimes In Peques and More | "The future of Anita" is a Save the Children campaign to inform about child sexual exploitation. More than 550,000 children have been trafficked in Latin America and the Caribbean. Children are the invisible victims of trafficking, one of the main forms of contemporary slavery
