8 November 2004

Solomon Islands: Women In Fear As Rapists Go Unchecked

"I was 14 years old then. Mr. N. [member of Police Joint Operation] came one night at around 10 pm, pointed a gun at me and ordered me to follow him to see the other men. They were already expecting me. They forced me to go and get leaves for betelnut [a popular local drug], then questioned me and told me they would send for the commander to see me. The Commander was Mr [...], he pointed his gun at me and raped me. I suffered pain and bleeding and had no [access to] medical care."

16-year-old schoolgirl from Guadalcanal

Countless women and girls in the Solomon Islands are traumatized and hundreds of cases of rape, torture and other violence remain unresolved following the country's five-year conflict, Amnesty International said in a report issued today.

Revealing the full extent and consequences of violence used against women during the civil war, the report says, for example, 19 of 55 women interviewed and living on the Weathercoast were raped by forces occupying or raiding their village -- thirteen teenagers and an eleven year old.

But, AI says, cases remain unresolved because victims fear for their safety if they report such crimes to the police.

"Those responsible for violence against women -- whether police, members of armed groups, or private individuals -- have rarely been brought to justice for these crimes. To our knowledge, very few of the rape cases detailed in the report have resulted in a prosecution," said Heinz Schurmann-Zeggel, Pacific Researcher at Amnesty International.

"Witnesses and victims seldom filed complaints, often because there was no opportunity to do so or because they feared revenge. In cases of rape, male relatives often discouraged women from reporting cases to police or from co-operating with prosecutors," explained Dr Schurmann-Zeggel.

Even now that the conflict is over, violence against women continues -- domestic violence in particular. Nearly 200 rapes were reported in the six months to June, a number described as "an appalling record" by the Solomon Islands Commissioner of Police. The police lack funds to train officers in responding to such violence, while the government has failed to provide even essential police equipment needs.

Discrimination against women exacerbates the violence. Women are poorly represented in the police, law and politics. Too often foreign aid to rebuild the country boosts men's economic opportunities while doing little to address the needs of women.

"Women in the Solomon Islands have been suffering a double invisibility -- first as victims of the conflict, now as potential contributors towards restoring peace and human rights," said Dr Schurmann-Zeggel.

Amnesty International is calling on the Solomon Islands government to:

- Draft and implement a National Policy on Violence against Women;

- Seek international assistance to ensure the policy meets international standards and is implemented accordingly;

- Set up a police team specializing in violence against women and children that should co-operate with health authorities;

- Involve women on an equal footing with men in development initiatives.

For more information:

Visit AINZ's website at http://www.amnesty.org.nz

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

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