2007年VOA标准英语-Report Seeks Punishment for Wartime Rapists in

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
02 August 2007

A human rights group is accusing pro-government and rebel forces in the Ivory Coast of subjecting thousands of women and girls to rape¹ and other forms of sexual assault. In a report issued Thursday, Human Rights Watch says although both sides in Ivory Coast's conflict have agreed to a peace accord earlier this year, it fails to address the widespread sexual violence that has taken place in the country or the need to bring those responsible to account.  Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West Africa Bureau in Dakar.

The report's author, Etelle Higonnet, documents the cases of more than 150 women in Ivory Coast who say they have suffered rape, slavery and sex bondage² by rebel or government forces. 

Higonnet says there is no doubt many other women in Ivory Coast have been sexually abused, but she says they are afraid to say anything.

"Women are terrified, terrified that if they speak out in public to ask for justice, or ask for medical services, or psychological services they will end up divorced, homeless, abandoned by their families, rejected by their communities, ostracized," she said.

One problem is that it costs $60 in Ivory Coast to get medical certification of a rape.  The report recommends making the certification free so women can pursue legal action more easily.

Other recommendations in the Human Rights Watch report include a government-led inquiry³ into sexual violence in Ivory Coast and an investigation⁴ by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to determine whether people can be brought to trial for war crimes.

reconciliation5 ceremony, 30 Jul7 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070804/1035230.jpg" width="209" vspace="2" border="0" />

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo (2ndL) and PM Guillaume Soro (2ndR) pose with the rifles they were given, during a disarmament and reconciliation ceremony, 30 Jul 2007

Higonnet says that until President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, who fought for years against President Gbagbo as leader of New Forces rebels, speak out forthrightly⁶ against sexual abuses carried out by their supporters, sexual violence will continue unpunished.

There has not yet been a formal government response to the report.

The head of the Africa section of the U.N. Women's Fund, Micheline Ravololonarisoa, says the women's ministry⁷ in the Ivory Coast government has in the past tried to combat sexual violence. But she says even with political will, it takes time.

"We cannot talk about violence in a linear way [narrow way].  There is the whole issue of women's status. It is not something we can change overnight," she added.

Ivory Coast's civil war erupted in 2002 and divided the country for almost five years. President Gbagbo and Mr. Soro signed a peace accord in March aimed at reuniting the country.

Nationwide elections, called for in the March accord, have been postponed⁸ twice.  They are now scheduled for early 2008.

1 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。

2 bondage   

n.奴役，束缚

参考例句：

• Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.奴隶主们有时允许奴隶为自己赎身。
• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。

3 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

6 forthrightly   

ad.言行坦诚地，直率地

参考例句：

• Didn't prevaricate but answered forthrightly and honestly. 毫不欺骗而是坦言相告。
• However in the economic production function that how knowledge contains a level forthrightly? 然而知识如何直接地包含到标准的经济生产函数中？

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。