Ex-paramilitaries in Guatemala sentenced to prison for raping Indigenous women Transcript Judges in Guatemala City on Monday found five men guilty of raping three dozen women some 40 years ago — during the height of the

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Ex-paramilitaries in Guatemala sentenced to prison for raping¹ Indigenous² women

Transcript³

Judges in Guatemala City on Monday found five men guilty of raping three dozen women some 40 years ago — during the height of the violence in Guatemala's long civil conflict.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

A search for justice ended Monday afternoon in a Guatemala City courtroom. A panel of judges pronounced five men guilty of rape⁴ and forced servitude. Some three dozen victims heard that verdict. They are Maya Achi women. The crimes against them came at the height of the violence in Guatemala's long civil conflict. From Guatemala City, Maria Martin reports for NPR.

MARIA MARTIN, BYLINE⁵: The Maya Achi women, now in their 60s and 70s, sat stoically, wearing the traditional woven dress of their Rabinal region, as Judge Herbie Sical read a verdict they've waited nearly 40 years for.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

HERBIE SICAL: (Speaking Spanish).

MARTIN: The defendants⁶ were given the maximum sentence - 30 years each for crimes against humanity. These men were part of the same Maya Achi community as the women. They'd been conscripted by the army to serve as so-called self-defense patrols to control their own communities, but the patrols sowed terror and violence, says historian Maria Aguilar, a Quiche Maya teaching at Yale.

MARIA AGUILAR: Sexual violence was a specific aspect of the war, intrinsically tied to the military plans of the Guatemalan army and of the generals who were in power at that time.

MARTIN: This was a landmark⁷ human rights trial. Witnesses presented expert testimony⁸ demonstrating how the sexual violence tore apart the Achi Maya. The women lost family members and their livelihood⁹ and experienced a host of emotional and physical trauma¹⁰. The women were treated like animals, the judges said, accusing the Guatemalan government of state terror. Now 51, Pedrina Lopez was barely 12 when she was raped¹¹ in Rabinal.

PEDRINA LOPEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

MARTIN: "We've put up with so much," she says, "with pain and sadness."

LOPEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

MARTIN: "We just wanted justice and for what happened to us to never happen again," says Pedrina, explaining why the women persisted for 40 years despite their fear of telling their stories in a community where the perpetrators still lived. When they first brought the case to court over a decade ago, they faced legal obstacles, reversals and discrimination.

LOPEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

MARTIN: Now, Pedrina says, she and the other women are happy. "They've valued our testimonies," she said. "We told the truth."

LOPEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

MARTIN: The women's victory, however, is bittersweet. Several of the original plaintiffs have died since the women first brought the case to court. Later this week, they'll find out what reparations the Guatemalan government is willing to pay. For historian Maria Aguilar, this will be the real test of justice.

AGUILAR: These were not poor women. These were not poor communities. They had access to a river. They had access to resources. They had access to plots of land. They were self-sustaining. And all of this was taken away.

MARTIN: The women's lawyers say this case sends a message to all Guatemalans that justice can work when there are impartial¹² judges and prosecutors¹³ and that even the most marginalized members of Guatemalan society, Indigenous women, can finally receive justice - though it may take 40 years.

For NPR News, I'm Maria Martin in Guatemala City.

(SOUNDBITE OF HERMANOS GUTIERREZ'S "CERCA DE TI")

1 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

2 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

7 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

10 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

11 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

12 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

13 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。