DRC: Bea and her daughter, victims of rape, were rejected by their husband and father. MAGNA hospital helped them.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was nicknamed the capital of sexual violence. In a country of frequent armed violence, sexual violence is used as a weapon. Thousands of women, girls and children face it every single day. Since 2011, MAGNA helps the victims of sexual violence and actively operates in 8 hospitals. One of the victims is Bea and her 15-year-old Bea daughter (names have been changed).

Bea and her daughter live in Kinshasa, while the husband is trying to support the family from abroad. They both felt his absence. One night, their house was occupied by 3 men that raped them and stole everything. They were financially and emotionally destroyed.

Bea and her daughter received help. The police took them to the MAGNA hospital where they received acute treatment and prophylactic treatment against HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tetanus and emergency contraception. MAGNA workers then provided them with psychosocial help through individual and group therapy so that they could overcome the trauma they experienced.

Besides life-long psychological trauma, such victims also face the risk of rejection by society as well as the closest family members. That is what happened to Bea and her daughter too. Once Bea told her husband what happened, he did not act like the head of the family. Instead, he never contacted them again. MAGNA hospitals help in such situations as well. After contacting the husband and talking to him for over half an hour, the workers persuaded him about what was obvious anyways – Bea, his wife, and his daughter need help from him. They need his understanding as well as financial help.

This story is, unfortunately, very typical in DRC. Two thirds of the victims are girls from the age of 12 to 17. The scars on their hearts remain there forever. The country provides medical and psychological help only rarely. That is why it needs to be replaced by volunteers and NGOs.