THEME: RAPE WHILE HIDING Some women described leaving their homes to hide in the forest overnight in an attempt to keep their families safe. Unfortunately, this tactic was not always successful and many women came under attack by military forces while hiding in the bush. “In our village, there was a lot of suffering because of the soldiers. For this reason, we were no longer sleeping in our houses; instead we were hiding in the bush. We were in our hiding place and I was sleeping. I saw five assailants coming. They were shameful enough to rape me. I am old - around 70 years of age. Since this day I have had pelvic pain and vaginal itching.” “I was in the forest. The assailants arrived where my husband, children and I were hiding. They asked us to give them money but I told them that we didn't have any. They asked me if I prefer death, or to sleep with them. My husband said ‘Instead of killing her, it is better have sex with her.’ Three of the assailants slept with me and they took my husband to transport their baggage to the forest. Once there, they killed my husband. Before leaving with my husband, they raped me and they killed my two children.” “The assailants arrived as I was preparing to leave with my family to go to the bush (in the evenings after eating, many families left to hide in the bush). They killed my husband and my son. One of them raped me and then they left.” 26