Threats against rape victim, 10, lay bare Bolivia's culture of sexual violence

Source: The Guardian

Threats against rape victim, 10, lay bare Bolivia’s culture of sexual violence

Supporters of alleged rapist, girl’s 39-year-old headmaster, stormed police station in effort to prevent arrest

Dan Collyns in Lima
@yachay_dc
Sat 21 Oct 2023 10.00 BST
Last modified on Sat 21 Oct 2023 10.34 BST

The ombudsman’s office in Bolivia has condemned threats against a 10-year-old rape victim and her family after teachers and school staff tried to prevent the arrest of the alleged rapist, a 39-year-old headmaster, by trying to invade a local police station and scuffling with police officers.

Videos posted on social media show the group gathered outside the police station, trying to pressure the prosecutor and judge to release the alleged perpetrator

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The alleged perpetrator is accused of intercepting the girl on her way home from school earlier this month and raping her inside a vehicle. The assault followed weeks of harassment, including via social media, it is alleged.

This case is part of a wider trend of sexual violence against minors and impunity for rapists in Bolivia. The country has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in Latin America and some of the region’s lowest reporting rates for these crimes.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/oct/21/bolivia-rape-girl-10-impunity-sexual-violence