One hundred women were in front of the courthouse in Ndjamena this morning to protest against violence against women and the impunity that the perpetrators of these crimes enjoy. The protesters were furious after a new rape case.
The message was sung by some thirty protesters dressed in black and a sign in their hand, describes our correspondent in Ndjamena, Aurélie Bazzara-Kibangula“We went out to say no,” says one of them. “Our body is our body!” This young girl has the right to enjoy her body and her body must not be available to these men to rape it. “
During the procession, men are also there as this activist with a t-shirt stamped “Woman victim, I believe you”: “I am here to support the young girls who have been raped and marginalized and for whom justice has done nothing. is very important, I was born of a woman and I have the right to protect the woman. “
“Today we really want to be heard”
At the beginning of the march, another gang rape video was broadcast on social networks, which ended in a friendly settlement. For Rokhaya Mahamat Traoré, vice president of the Chadian League for Women’s Rights, this is too much: “Our mothers had to go for a walk 20 years ago. Today we repeat history. Today we really want to be heard. Today we really want to recover or remove the rights that have been stolen from us. ”
#Chad “My body is not an object”, shouted a slogan in one of the main axes of N’Djamena by dozens of women and men demonstrating for women’s rights and against the perpetrators’ impunity of #viol #women pic.twitter. com / IKzWWgiZuD
– Aurélie Bazzara-Kibangula (@Aurelie_Bazzara) June 21, 2021
In May, a 15-year-old girl, Meram, was raped by three men, three of whom filmed the scene and then left her on the street barely conscious. The case caused an uproar, as the three alleged perpetrators are the sons of high-ranking officials. A forensic investigation is underway for rape and assault and battery. The suspects are still in Klessoum’s detention center, according to prosecutors.
Demands for more justice
But for Épiphanie Jornag, one of the organizers of this march, this deal is one for many. That is why a hundred of them expressed their anger in the street: “We are tired! We waited, we waited … We thought the situation would change, but we stopped at the same point. So we really want to condemn … Condemn these forms of violence that have always existed in our societies and we do not talk about them, we close our eyes! We close our mouths, we close our ears … We also want to condemn the impunity of the perpetrators of these acts. In the face of a lot of rape, we can not succeed. ”
Épiphanie Jornag calls for justice to be less lax for this type of business: “We really want justice to really ensure the oppression of these perpetrators!” We are told: “Go condemn the police, go condemn this”. The perpetrators are in prison and the next day they are on the street! So what is the benefit of preserving this justice? I think the reason is that we are not yet aware of the seriousness of the matter. And the case of Meram, that’s the case for many women every day … “
Ten recommendations were made to the Minister of Justice, including the establishment of a reception unit for rape victims.
Thérèse Mekombe, chair of the Association of Women Lawyers on the demonstration
There are many rape cases that are not reported. Sometimes it is known by the parents, but for the parents’ dignity and the girl’s protection, one does not dare to condemn. We prefer to deal with this type of friendly friendship between families.
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