VOA标准英语2010-Rape In DRC Reaches Alarming Levels

The United Nations refugee agency says it is alarmed at the large numbers of women who continue to be victims of rape¹ and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The UNHCR says more than one third of recorded cases of rape, in the first three months of 2010, are in North and South Kivu provinces in eastern DRC, which hosts some 1.4 million internally displaced people.

 

During the first three months of this year, United Nations data shows 1,244 women were sexually assaulted throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.  That averages almost 14 assaults every day.

U.N. refugee spokeswoman, Melissa Fleming, says a similar number of sexual assaults were recorded in the same period last year.  So, the situation is not getting better.

"We do fear that the real numbers, of course, could be much higher because we are aware that many of the survivors² do keep silent on this-on their trauma," said Fleming. "We are really disturbed by the lack of justice and prevailing³ impunity⁴.  We consider sexual violence among the most serious of crimes and should be treated as such.  Survivors should be helped to report incidents without fear of reprisals⁵." 

Fleming says women often are raped⁶ when they venture out of their villages or camps to collect firewood, water and other essential means to survive. 

The UNHCR runs camps for 100,000 internally displaced people in Kivu province.  Fleming says the UNHCR is doing its utmost to reduce the exposure of women in the camps.  In North Kivu, for example, she says the agency provides fuel-efficient stoves and firewood so the women do not have to leave safe areas.

DRC President Joseph Kabila has told the United Nations that it wants its large force of peacekeepers to leave the country.  The U.N. force has been in the country for 11 years and is widely credited with preventing some of the worst abuses.

Fleming says security for women in the Congo is absolutely vital.  She says the UNHCR is seriously concerned that rape will increase if measures of security are reduced.

"We do have evidence and hear from IDP's [camps for internally displaced persons] that the presence of MONUC troops [peacekeeping troops] has given them a greater sense of security," said the spokeswoman. "And that in places where peacekeepers are, we do have indications that their presence on patrol brings down security incidents, it brings down the reported cases of rape." 

Fleming says the UNHCR provides rape victims with counseling, medical treatment and legal advice.  She says in a few cases, women have received legal redress⁷.

But, she notes the overall number of cases in which criminal charges are brought is tiny compared to the vast scale of the problem.  In DRC at least 200,000 cases of sexual violence have been recorded since 1996.

 

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 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

3 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

4 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。

5 reprisals   

n.报复（行为）( reprisal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
• They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 redress   

n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除

参考例句：

• He did all that he possibly could to redress the wrongs.他尽了一切努力革除弊端。
• Any man deserves redress if he has been injured unfairly.任何人若蒙受不公平的损害都应获得赔偿。