16 Time for accountability 5 Sexual violence Community leaders and victims of abuse in ZANU-PF camps in Masvingo told Amnesty International of their suspicions that young women at the camps were forced to give “sexual favours” to camp leaders and male ZANU-PF youths in the period ahead of the June presidential run-off. A humanitarian worker told Amnesty International that his organization had also received reports of male victims of sexual violence who had been forced to perform sexual acts on other men. However, few of the victims of sexual violence were willing to speak about their experiences, mainly because of the stigma associated with rape and out of fear of reprisals, as some of the perpetrators lived in the same communities.22 They had no confidence that police would act against perpetrators since they had acted with the support of the state. Victims of sexual violence in general fear the social impact of reporting their experiences, both on themselves and on their families. They fear the stigma associated with rape, especially in an environment where there are no guarantees that the victims and their families will receive adequate support, including counselling, access to HIV testing and antiretrovirals. Men who are victims of sexual violence often find it even more challenging to report sexual abuse by other men, especially in a country where the head of state has denounced homosexuality in the strongest terms.23 Community leaders and human rights defenders interviewed by Amnesty International expressed the view that as the security situation improves and resultant pregnancies come to light, more reports of rape will emerge.24 Wife of election observer sexually abused in Mt. Darwin In Mt Darwin, the wife of an independent election observer with the Zimbabwe Election Support Network during the 29 March elections was attacked at his home on 9 July and his wife was sexually abused by ZANU-PF youths. The husband told Amnesty International in August that the youths stripped his wife naked and severely beat her with thick sticks. They then took turns to insert their hands into her vagina. At the time of the interview the wife was still in hospital while the husband and three children were living in the burnt shell of their home. The first attack at the couple’s home was on 6 May 2008 when a mob of ZANU-PF supporters attacked them, accusing the husband of being an MDC supporter. The couple managed to escape into the nearby hills, but left behind three young children who were assaulted by the mob. The mob then set the homestead on fire. They also set the goats’ pen alight, burning the goats alive. From 8 May to 26 June the family were internally displaced and sought refuge in Harare. They faced extreme hardships as internally displaced people with no support, and decided to go back to Mt. Darwin, where they were attacked for the second time. The second attack was reported to the police, who arrested three of the 13 identified attackers. The three were taken to court on 14 August 2008. Amnesty International AI Index: AFR 46/028/2008