An internal U.N. report seen by Reuters revealed that during an attempted mass breakout from the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Makala Central Prison this month, over 260 female prisoners were sexually abused. Approximately 129 individuals lost their lives when prison guards opened fire on detainees attempting to escape the Kinshasa jail, which, according to official records, can hold 1,500 inmates but actually houses almost 15,000 people.
Following the attempted breakout in the early hours of September 2, the government claimed—without giving a specific number—that women had been sexually abused. But according to an internal U.N. report on the incident obtained by Reuters, 268 of the 348 women detained in Makala had experienced sexual abuse, including rape, during the mayhem. 17 of them were under the age of 19. Each victim required post-attack kits and emergency contraception within 72 hours, therefore the report included a detailed count of the victims.
Requests for comment on Thursday were not immediately answered by a government spokesman. At least a dozen prisoners had raped a victim who spoke with Reuters over the phone and did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation. Out of the 11 prison blocks, seven were vandalised during the breakout attempt, and the block where the majority of the women were kept was allegedly attacked by convicts.
The U.N. statistics, according to Congolese rights lawyer Emmanuel Cole, who has been visiting prisons since 1997, are probably an underestimate because some of the victims would have been too terrified of the consequences to speak up. In an effort to lessen overcrowding, President Felix Tshisekedi has ordered an examination of the main jails and an investigation into the Makala prison break. In the end, there were no escapes reported from the incident.
SOURCE: Reuters
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