Amicable settlements, lack of medical and psychological care, difficult access to justice: victims of sexual violence in Côte d’Ivoire still face many obstacles, denounces a report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). “If Côte d’Ivoire appears to be a State invested in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of its policy, as the data relating to sexual violence seem to be underestimated “, point to the report.
Officially, 822 cases of rape and 152 cases of sexual assault were recorded across the country in 2020, figures that are largely underestimated, according to FIDH (read report in full). “Between January and October 2021 (provisional data), the number of rapes stands at 625, sexual assaults at 199, forced marriages at 21 and sexual mutilation at 22. nationally, between April and June 2021, South Africa recorded a total of 10,006 rapes and, over the year 2020, France recorded 24,803, these figures being themselves underestimates” , analyzes the NGO.
“Côte d’Ivoire has neither comprehensive statistics nor reliable consolidated qualitative data on all forms of sexual violence committed throughout the country.”
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)in his report
The report shows that victims too rarely manage to obtain justice, facing several obstacles. In addition to fear of reprisals or stigmatization, “the absence of denunciation is due to the prevalence of amicable settlements, which are legion throughout Côte d’Ivoire”points to the text.
On the occasion of the #Women’sRightsDay the #FIDH publishes a new report on the effective care of victims of #SexualViolence in #Ivory Coast based on the experiences of 31 victims & their families @midhciv @LidhoOnghttps://t.co/rqu85sfPsp
— FIDH (@fidh_fr) March 8, 2022
Despite the establishment of toll-free numbers dedicated to victims of gender-based violence, the survey reveals that many victims do not have access to the judicial system. Several testimonies tell of agreements for a few tens of euros between the family of the victim and the aggressor.
“In the vast majority, the main actors in out-of-court settlements are the heads of families of victims and perpetrators, community leaders and religious leaders.”
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)in his report
The survey, conducted in ten Ivorian localities, also shows the lack of infrastructure guaranteeing medical, psychological and social care, or emergency accommodation.
FIDH also denounces the lack of good reception conditions for victims in many police stations. According to the report, many police officers indeed demand a medical certificate – often expensive – showing traces of violence to accept a complaint, despite a 2016 circular making this practice illegal. “Our organizations have seen that not only is the medical certificate considered essential, but it is also often the only evidence provided by the investigation services”, deplores the FIDH.