“This client was already pregnant. On top of that, she was raped and she was also hit by that gun … she told us she was raped for three days being locked in a house.”
Channel 4 News correspondent Jamal Osman travelled to Tigray, Ethiopia and spoke to the women who have been raped and tortured by soldiers amid the conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
The video captures the testimonies he heard from the victims and from caretakers in the region.
“Almost all of them they tell you that they are raped by soldiers victims of rape” — sister Mulu, healthcare professional at a clinic in Tigray.
Osman: How many patients have you seen roughly?
“Roughly 260 …in this clinic alone. They don’t knowing the person who raped them . . . They acquire many diseases like HIV, like hepatitis.”
“A friend and I were coming home to wash our utensils. Suddenly they came. She saw them first and they shot her. She died immediately. I was trying to see if she was OK because I thought she stumbled and fell. Then one of them slapped me. Then they raped me and left.” — victim.
“There is no transportation. They come by themselves to walk. After three days, after four days after a week, they become very angry. They haven’t have any clothes. They are migrants. They haven’t had any (money).” — Sister Mulu
“There is no police service, there is no court. Every person is doing as they want.” — Sister Mulu
“This client was already pregnant. On top of that, she was raped and she was also hit by that gun … she told us she was raped for three days being locked in a house by one of the soldiers and she came to us bleeding.” — caretaker
“He was following me as I climbed the Mesobo hill. I was alone. Then he took me to a house and locked me up. He raped me for four days in a row. Suddenly he went out without closing the door to wash his feet. I tried to escape, but he shot me in the abdomen with a gun. When I started bleeding he called one of his friends to come get me.” — 19-year-old girl
“They were Eritrean soldiers, speaking Tigrinya who wore the government’s military uniform. We were six women drinking coffee. They pushed the door and entered. 30 soldiers who raped us. Five of them, for each one of us. They were even joking around. They were taking pictures of us. One of us was a virgin. I don’t know where they took her.” — victim
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