VOA慢速英语2013 乌干达难民营的强奸案件

 

AS IT IS 2013-11-25 Inequality, Weak Prosecution¹ Encourage Rape² 乌干达难民营的强奸案件

Hello, and welcome back to As It Is from VOA Learning English.

I’m Christopher Cruise in Washington.

Today on the program, we go to a refugee camp in Uganda. The United Nations has sent a traveling court there to urge victims of rape and violence at home to seek justice…

“So one of the main reasons for this court is to try and encourage people to report more, so that we can find out all of the cases within the community…”

But first, our South Africa correspondent Anita Powell looks at what is causing widespread and increasing cases of rape in Africa…

“The nation was recently shocked by an especially brutal³ rape and murder of a teenager in the Western Cape⁴.”

Activists⁶: Rape in Africa Driven by Inequality and Weak Prosecution

Rape is considered an epidemic⁷ in Africa. That is true even in countries with progressive legal systems like South Africa. VOA’s correspondent in Johannesburg Anita Powell looks at the numbers and examines some of the cultural roots and legal problems facing people trying to help stop rape in Africa.. 

South African police say 64,000 rapes⁸ were reported in the country last year. This happened in a nation that is often called “the rape capital of the world.”

But activists say the problem with this number is that it is probably wrong. And it is not just wrong by a small amount -- the activists say it may be wrong by a large amount.

In early November, a top South African organization questioned the police department’s math. The group said the police used old, lower population numbers in producing its yearly crime report. They say the result makes it appear that there is more improvement in the number of crimes than has actually taken place.

And there is more cause for concern. A recent study by the Medical Research Council found that only one in 25 women reports rape in Gauteng, the province with the largest population. 

Gender¹⁰ rights activist⁵ Shireen Motara says this lack of reporting is the first big problem. Women in South Africa often do not report rape because of the reaction they get. That is true even though the nation’s laws are among the most progressive in the world. 

Ms. Motara is executive director of the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Center, based in Johannesburg. The center helps women who are victims of violence. She says South Africa‘s violent culture and widespread lack of respect for women often go against its progressive laws. 

“We put the burden on women to say, you have to dress appropriately, you have to act appropriately so that, you know, you don’t get raped¹¹. And if you do get raped, the first question that gets asked was, ‘What did you say?’ or ‘Were you drunk?’ or ‘How were you dressed?’ So, it for me, it links back to that broader conversation that we’re having about gender inequality in, in our society in general.” 

The nation was recently shocked by an especially brutal rape and murder of a teenager in the Western Cape. On November 1st, a South African court sentenced her rapist to two life sentences, the strongest possible punishment.

Bianca Valentine is a lawyer with the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Center. She says this recent case is a rare example of justice being done.

“I think that overall, unless you have extensive media coverage¹² or you have victims who are being assisted by a, a well-structured and well-financed organization who is able to push the legal system, victims of sexual violence do not receive adequate and effective justice through the criminal justice system.” 

That is especially clear in other places on the continent. In Eastern Congo, both rebels and government forces have been accused of raping¹³ civilians¹⁴ in groups, as well as stealing and destroying property.  Yet few rape cases are ever heard in a courtroom. Victims say the loss of respect unjustly suffered by the victims prevents them from reporting the crime.

Ms. Motara says it is important to change the outdated¹⁵ beliefs that affect not just South Africa, but all of Africa. She says the trauma¹⁶ of rape is keeping Africa from the success it deserves.

“We continue to live on a continent where, where women are second-class citizens, where what women do in a society is not valued, where violence against women, you know, is seen as, as par⁹ for the course -- it’s almost seen as normal. The bigger part of that problem, I think, for me, is that our leaders are not speaking up against the extent of the violence on the continent.”

Experts say changing the status of women will take time. That change will come too late for some women: In the time it has taken you to listen to this report, as many as ten South African women or girls were raped.

I’m Anita Powell, VOA News, Johannesburg.          

You are listening to As It Is, from The Voice of America.

I’m Christopher Cruise in Washington.  

Justice for Rape Victims in Ugandan Refugee Camps

This year, the United Nations refugee agency opened its first mobile court program for refugees in Uganda. The traveling court was set up to help victims of rape and domestic violence seek justice. But many of the cultural barriers to punishing the attackers remain.

Life in a refugee camp is hard. But trying to get help from the law can be even harder. Refugees can have trouble understanding foreign legal systems. And, the camps are often far from the courthouse.

That is why in Uganda, the United Nations refugee agency -- the UNHCR -- decided¹⁷ to bring the courts to the refugees. Lucy Beck works for the agency.

“We set up these mobile courts as a result of refugees -- and some of the local Ugandans -- having to wait very long times before they had access to justice, or having to travel very long distances to reach the government courts.”

The court that travels to the Nakivale refugee settlement has held two meetings since it was established in May. The Ugandan government provides lawyers. There are similar courts in camps in Kenya and Zambia. But the Nakivale court is Uganda’s first.

All the cases -- until now -- have involved minor¹⁸ crimes. The UNHCR, however, plans to bring in a high court judge soon to hear 50 serious cases. Lucy Beck says most will be cases of rape.

Seventy-five percent of refugees in southwestern Uganda are from the nearby Democratic Republic of Congo. Rape is often used as a weapon of war in the DRC. The country is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman.

The UNCHR has found that poverty and high unemployment rates among refugees make women more likely to be targets of rape. 

Philbert Murungi of the American Refugee Committee works with rape victims. He says even a woman’s day-to-day activities can put her at risk.

“Some of them are attacked on their way toward the water point. Some of them are attacked on their way towards collecting firewood for fuel and domestic use.”

He says women can suffer both social and physical harm from rape. He says the blame that is placed on rape victims can be crushing. The victims often are rejected by their families and blamed by their communities.

Mr. Murungi says there are what are called “safe houses” available for rape victims. He hopes that these places and the mobile courts will make it easier for women to report rape. But he adds that if they are unwilling¹⁹ to do so, there is only so much any court can do.

The mobile court can offer only so much help. Lucy Beck says more than 70 percent of rapes among Congolese refugees happened in the DRC. She says that makes it almost impossible to try the suspected attackers in Uganda. 

For these women, justice may always remain out of reach. 

And that’s our program for today.

1 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

8 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

9 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

10 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

11 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

12 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

13 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

14 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

15 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

16 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

17 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

18 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

19 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。