Rape is effective weapon of war.

[Blackwing]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/poli...y/1047062.html

Hundreds of thousands of women, girls and babies have been raped during 12 years of conflict in eastern Congo, victims of a weapon of war that almost always goes unpunished, senators were told Wednesday. Similar atrocities are found in Darfur, the devastated western Sudan region where the United States said in 2004 that genocide was occurring. Women also have been targeted on a wide scale in recent decades during wars in Asia and Europe. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard testimony on the plight of women caught up in violence, emphasizing the Darfur and Congo disasters. Melanne Verveer, the State Department's ambassador-at-large for global women's issues, said 1,100 rapes are reported every month in the Congo battle area, "which is 36 women and girls raped each day." Many are maimed by their attackers as well, she said. "Rape is employed as a weapon because it is effective," Verveer said. "It destroys the fabric of society from within and does so more efficiently than do guns or bombs." Rape is an effective weapon of war because it breaks apart families and communities, Verveer said. "In addition to these rapes and gang rapes, of which there have been hundreds of thousands over the duration of the conflict, the perpetrators frequently mutilate the woman in the course of the attack," she said. "The apparent purpose is to leave a lasting and inerasable signal to others that the woman has been violated." That, she said, in Congo as in many other cultures gives the victim "a lifelong badge of shame." If married, she often is cast aside. If unmarried, she cannot find a mate. She said humanitarian organizations "report that attacks on women destroy the nucleus of the families, and with the unraveling families, the communities also disintegrate. "There is little place in these villages to shore up the collapse of these integral institutions." To make matters worse, she said, she quoted a report by the Human Rights Integrated Office in Congo that spoke of "a marked lack of seriousness" by law officers and magistrates toward raped females. "Men accused of rape are often granted bail or given light sentences," Verveer said. "Few cases are reported to the police, and fewer still are in prosecution." Verveer said that of the 14,000 rape cases registered in the Congo's provincial health centers in between 2005 and 2007, only 287 were taken to trial. She said police lack proper training, and the rule of law must be strengthened and provide victims given with access to justice while offering them protection throughout the judicial process. Verveer said Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, plans to visit Africa with representatives of the U.N. Security Council. One of their visits, Verveer said, will be to a hospital in the eastern Congo, where there is one of only two doctors in the region who are capable of the kind of surgery needed to rehabilitate women and girls whose organs are maimed by their attackers. Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer said the situation is "a shame on the human race." Republican Sens. Johnny Isakson and Bob Corker, members of the committee, said they plan to visit the area in about 10 days, heading first to Khartoum, Sudan's capital, then to Darfur.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

I have to agree, it is an effective weapon both in war and to degrade someone almost entirely of their existence as a human being. For wars, I also agree, it does effectively tear apart families and society. However, it is a shame that there is the gender-based discrimination, however, what else would one expect?

[Oiseau the Little Bird!]

Sadly, it really is. There's nothing more to say. :[

[eunoia]

It breaks my heart that people resort to things like this. =/

[Casey.]

I hate to have to agree that this is an effective weapon of war. I just wish it wasn't. I hate the low lives who do this to women, and men, for whatever reason. This makes me sad.

[star_crossd]

This reminds me of that US soldier, Steven Green I believe his name is, who was recently sentenced for raping a 14 year old in Iraq. I never knew the statistics of how many occur and never go punished.

It makes me even more mad that if a women is raped in these places, society casts them out over something they obviously didnt choose. Why would they defend their wives, their daughters? Its all truly despicable.

[Pessimistic Panda]

This is the saddest sickest thing I've heard of people doing. Going on killing somebody in my opinion is a lot easier to deal with than rape when you're raped you're still living your life thinking of that moment.

[Blackwing]

Men accused of rape are often granted bail or given light sentences

Sounds like Rape in the military is taken lightly. If its not a national security problem they don't take much action.

[Gidig]

This angers me. A lot.

I can't even imagine what I would do to someone who was raping someone specifically as a war tool. That completely shows the ignorance and stupidity of the country.

[Jack]

The thing is that through-out history it has been shown to be an incredibly effective tool. We just have a high enough level of empathy not to use it.

[Kryptonite]

There's a certain amount of...respect? Even in times of war, it's just something that isn't done too often.

[TheNumber42]

This is just sick. I think I would kill myself before I raped someone, I don't know if I could live with that. It's so sad that it is such an effective weapon.

[TheKnight]

It seems like people just don't have any sort of mind for "ethical" war fighting anymore. I, personally, believe that in a war the only damage that should be done is the damage necessary to quickly bring about the goal of the war. Raping, pillaging, etc etc I think is simply over the top.

[sushi_error]

Unfortunately, rape is an effective weapon of war. It allows someone to have greater control over another human being. In general, women are seen as caregivers and whatnot, so rape allows an enemy to control society in horrific ways. I hope that makes some sense.