Haiti - Women and girls victims of rape in post-quake Haiti

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317...DeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDd29tZW5naXJsc3Jh

Women, girls rape victims in Haiti quake aftermath

"When the young woman needed to use the toilet, she went out into the darkened tent camp and was attacked by three men.

"They grabbed me, put their hands over my mouth and then the three of them took turns," the slender 21-year-old said, wriggling with discomfort as she nursed her baby girl, born three days before Haiti's devastating quake.
"I am so ashamed. We're scared people will find out and shun us," said the woman, who suffers from abdominal pain and itching, likely from an infection contracted during the attack.

Women and children as young as 2, already traumatized by the loss of homes and loved ones in the Jan. 12 catastrophe, are now falling victim to rapists in the sprawling tent cities that have become home to hundreds of thousands of people.

With no lighting and no security, they are menacing places after sunset. Sexual assaults are daily occurrences in the biggest camps, aid workers say — and most attacks go unreported because of the shame, social stigma and fear of reprisals from attackers...."

more at link

Oh Iz I didn't even want to open this thread.

I think we all knew this would happen. As if facing a natural disaster isn't enough.

Prayers for all these poor women and children. Things like this make me lose hope in mankind.

It's almost as if you mix in trauma, natural disaster, the failure of the infrastructure, hunger, fear, and the fracturing of the family and you come up with wild eyed men running rampant looting and raping women and children.

I don't want to look either, Filly. I didn't want to post the thread but that would be ignoring these people's pain. Will Haiti ever dig out of its morass? It's such a vibrant country with resilient people. It breaks my heart.

A two year old. Will someone explain that to me?

MissIzzy, the day I can explain that is the day that I just quit.

But, if it helps, almost the day of the quake, there were groups stepping up as protectors, taking up for the police. They patrol, without weapons, at all hours, fighting hand to hand when necessary, for complete strangers...women chilldren and men, because this is happening to men as well. They log names, attackers, and general info for reports once the infrastructure is back up, as well as getting photos and video when possible.
Don't let this destroy your faith in anything. When the darkness spreads, the monsters go with it, and face it, it's very dark in Haiti these days. But there are people that are already fighting to bring the light back. They give me hope. To me, they signify humanity. They are choosing to fight.

these people already existed before the disaster, now they are visible. it's like the lights got turned on but instead of the cockroaches scrambling they attacked