Syrian women targeted for rape and sex crimes

30 Nov CBS12 News

Women are increasingly the targets of sexual abuse and torture as Syria’s civil war intensifies, according to a report.

At least 6,000 women have been raped since the start of the conflict in March 2011 but most refuse to speak out because of the nature of the crime. Many have been deliberately targeted by government forces to put pressure on male relatives linked to the opposition, according to the Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network.

Hayet Zeghiche, from the Denmark-based group, said: ‘The stigma makes them socially unacceptable so they have to flee the area, often without their family members.

They are very much left alone and isolated.’ The report, which draws on accounts from victims, families and medical workers, describes how women have been arrested without reason.

Some have been detained for months and refused contact with their families.During this time, many are tortured, raped or sexually humiliated by guards.Women are also being targeted by snipers and used as human shields, often when they are with their children, the report added.