Colombia investigates reported rape of indigenous girl, sparks condemnation
JUNE 24, 2020 / 7:13 PM / A DAY AGO
Anastasia Moloney
3 MIN READ
BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Colombian authorities said on Wednesday they were investigating the reported rape of a 12-year-old indigenous girl by soldiers, spurring calls from tribal leaders to address violence against their communities they say is invisible and often ignored.
The girl from Colombia’s Embera Chami tribe disappeared from her community reserve in northern Colombia on Sunday and was found a day later at a nearby school.
She told indigenous authorities she had been sexually abused by a group of soldiers and, according to local media reports, seven soldiers could be involved.
. . .
Colombia’s indigenous groups have long accused illegal armed groups and the armed forces of committing human rights violations, particularly during the country’s long civil war and struggles over land, which they say are fueled by racism.
“This is not an isolated case. It’s a structural issue,” said Aida Quilcue, human rights advisor at the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), the country’s leading indigenous authority.
More:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-colombia-indigenous-sexual-violence-t/colombia-investigates-reported-rape-of-indigenous-girl-sparks-condemnation-idUSKBN23W00X
