VOA标准英语2011--Rapes, Retribution in the Democratic Republic of Congo

 Rapes, Retribution in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Five years after officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo passed stricter laws against sexual violence, there are more criminal prosecutions² - including prosecutions of soldiers. The central prison in North Kivu is packed with men convicted of rape¹. But lawyers and victims say lawlessness in the countryside means many rapists still act with impunity³. And they note the international pressure to stop rape in Congo has led to unintended consequences and a whole new set of challenges.

Instances of sexual violence improve for some

Officials and activists⁴ agree: things are better than they used to be in Eastern Congo. If rape victims can physically⁵ get to the court or to the hospital, many find help -- and some even find justice.

But victims say in the countryside, conflict still rages, and rape is still a weapon of war.

"I was married and I was pregnant. Rebel soldiers came to loot and they raped⁶ me," one victim stated. "It killed my baby and now I have a disease."

North Kivu's Minister of Justice, Francois Tuyihimbaze Rucogoza, says it is still difficult to get to the victims because most live deep in lawless rural areas. But he says Congo’s 2006 rape law has slowed the rate of attacks, because people now know if they rape, there is a chance they may go to jail. "The military helps impose justice in places we cannot go. For example, where there is a military operation, they help us punish the perpetrators of sexual violence," he said.

Rape laws, unintended consequences

While tougher rape laws are helping⁷ battle the problem, these same rape laws have had unintended consequences.

Officials say the laws do not distinguish between violent sexual assault and sex under age 18 -- Congo's age of consent.

But it's not uncommon⁸ here for girls as young as 15 to be married. Under the law, that makes young husbands technically⁹ guilty of rape.

Kakule, a convict in the central prison -- like many of his fellow inmates¹⁰ -- says he is only guilty of marrying young, and not being able to afford to pay a dowry. "I went to my girlfriend's family to propose marriage, but I had nothing to give for a dowry. When her family realized we were still together, they accused me of rape," he said.

Jules Simpeze, the region's Justice Ministry¹¹ detention¹² specialist, says the real perpetrators of sexual violence are seldom arrested. "Women get attacked when they go to the fields. If they report the rape and seek treatment and justice, then they go home," she explained.

Seeking justice

Victims seeking care in a hospital say aid workers found them in the countryside and brought them to the city for help. Some of them plan to take their cases to court, but most believe their attackers will never be found.

Another rape victim says her rapists were rebel soldiers, who operate entirely¹³ outside the law. "I went out to look for my children and on the way back I met three armed men. They raped me and my friend," she stated.

While officials struggle to catch and punish rapists, aid workers and victims say the only real way to stop the rape epidemic¹⁴ in Congo, is to end the conflict that has plagued this land for decades.

1 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。

2 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

3 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 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

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

9 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

10 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

13 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

14 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。