Rape As was seen in Table 2 (see above), there are very few cases of rape - only 13 in all reporting to human rights groups, and this is in contra-distinction to the many reports in the press, especially the association between rape and the youth militia. It is also well-known that rape is under-reported in general, and even more greatly under-reported in conditions of political instability. This is likely to be the case here. Forced concubinage has been the form of sexual abuse that has produced the greatest outcry in the press, and even a number of demonstrations 16 by outraged parents, but no estimate of its prevalence can be made currently. There is no clearly observed pattern to the reports of rape, and hence no conclusions can be drawn from this data. Considerably more research is needed on this issue, and particularly in rural areas where the rapes are reported to be 17 most common. Abductions and kidnappings Abductions and kidnappings seem to be strongly related to murder, torture, property intimidation, and political intimidation. This reflects the explanation, given in many reports, of being taken forcibly to a militia base, or being arrested by the ZRP or CIO. It is immediately evident from Figure 6 that the trend in abductions and kidnappings has changed over time. In much the same way as the trend seen for torture and summary executions/extra-judicial killings, with a rise leading up to and including the Presidential Election. Thereafter there is a discernible difference, with abductions and kidnappings becoming far less common. However, as shall be seen from the section below dealing with unlawful arrest and detention, there is the replacement by the use of so-called “legal” methods of detention. 16 The issue of rape and its association with the youth militia has recently been given new impetus with the publication of the BBC’s Panorama programme on the youth militia. 17 For a discussion of the problems in documenting rape, see Reeler, A.P (2003), The role of militia groups in maintaining ZanuPF’s political power, Report prepared for ZWNEWS, March 2003. 25