Annotation:
In August 2010, the High Commissioner for
Human Rights convened a panel to address
the issues faced by victims of sexual
violence in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC). This report documents the
findings of the panel, including its
assessments and recommendations with
regard to the judicial mechanisms and
other mechanisms necessary to provide the
victims adequate access to remedies and
reparations. Through interviewing victims
of sexual violence in the DRC, the panel
found that despite the country's efforts
to address sexual violence through the
implementation of a National Strategy to
Combat Gender-Based Violence, the needs of
the victims were still largely unmet. Some
of the most significant concerns included
the unavailability of health care, the
lack of education available for their
children, and rejection by their families
and society. Many of the victims also have
little possibility of receiving
reparations because they cannot identify
their perpetrator or the perpetrator has
not been arrested, and the judicial system
does not allow reparations without the
perpetrator.