UNICEF Deplores Stoning Of Child Rape Victim

UNICEF Deplores Stoning Of Child Rape Victim

Nairobi, Kenya, 4 November 2008

The UN Children's Agency, UNICEF has described last week's stoning of a 13 year old Somali girl as 'deplorable.' The girl, Aisha Duhulow, was stoned
to death in a stadium of spectators in Kismayo on 27 October 2008 after
having been found guilty of adultery. However, reports indicate that she
had been raped by three men while traveling on foot to visit her
grandmother in the war-torn capital, Mogadishu. Following the assault, she
sought protection from the authorities, who then accused her of adultery
and sentenced her to death.

“This is a tragic and deplorable incident” said UNICEF Representative for
Somalia, Christian Balslev-Olesen, “A child was victimized twice – first by
the perpetrators of the rape and then by those responsible for
administering justice.”

The incident highlights the extreme vulnerability of girls and women in
Somalia, for whom violence and discrimination are intensified by the
effects of chronic conflict and displacement. Sexual and gender-based
violence is commonplace in Somalia and the vulnerability of girls and women
is further exacerbated through gender inequalities in access to essential
social services.

“Authorities and institutions of civil society have a role to play in
supporting and protecting the rights of every child," said Balslev-Olesen,
"However, this incident demonstrates how much work remains to be done to
advocate for and protect the rights of girls and women in Somalia. UNICEF
is committed to promote the status of females and we will continue to work
with local authorities and partners to reduce the risks to them through the
promotion of girls’ education, HIV prevention and support to services for
survivors of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.”

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