Countries: Greece
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"GENEVA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A U.N. human rights expert voiced alarm on Monday at Greece's failure to identify and help victims of sex trafficking, saying the government may have missed hundreds of cases at a migrant centre on the island of Samos. In a letter to Greek authorities, U.N. Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons Siobhán Mullally said authorities failed to identify 14 female victims of sexual exploitation or forced labour despite them displaying "clear indicators" like injuries, scarring, sexual diseases or pregnancy" (para 1-2). "'They [female assylum seekers from West and Central Africa to Greece] arrived in Samos as asylum seekers and all 14 cases [of them being...more

Countries: France
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"Ms Brinkworth finally plucked up the courage in 2020 to tell French police about what had happened but was left heartbroken when they told her she was two years too late to file a report due to French law as it exceeded the 20-year statute of limitations." (para 3) "A lawyer for Marie told the BBC in June: 'The allegations made by the complainants have already been the subject of a thorough investigation in France. That investigation was closed without further action.'" (para 8) "'I was directed at the time by the BBC not to report the assault, which was consequently buried by a legal settlement between the BBC and...more

Countries: Denmark
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, LRW-LAW-1, LRW-LAW-2, LRCM-PRACTICE-1, LRCM-LAW-2, DV-PRACTICE-1, DV-LAW-1, DV-LAW-2

“Danish law criminalized rape of a person, regardless of gender, including spousal rape and domestic violence. Penalties for rape included imprisonment for up to 12 years for aggravated circumstances and up to six years for domestic violence. Greenlandic law criminalized rape. Greenland’s Criminal Code did not specify minimum and maximum penalties, and sentences were decided by the court on a case-by-case basis. The law was applied equally regardless of the marital relationship of the offender and the survivor. The law provided that sentencing be based on the severity of the case as well as an individual evaluation of the offender. Sentencing was typically between 12 and 18 months. Denmark and...more

Countries: Cyprus
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, LRW-LAW-1

“ROC law criminalized rape of a person, regardless of gender, including spousal and domestic or intimate partner rape and other forms of domestic and sexual violence, with a maximum sentence of life in prison...The government generally enforced the law effectively, although many cases went unreported” (33). “In the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, the ‘law’ criminalized rape of a person, regardless of gender, including spousal rape, and provided for a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. ‘Authorities’ and ‘police’ did not enforce the ‘law’ effectively” (34).

Countries: Equatorial Guinea
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"Rape is illegal and punishable by 12 to 20 years’ imprisonment and fines. The law does not address spousal rape or the gender of rape survivors. The government did not enforce the law effectively, in part due to reluctance of survivors and their families to report rape. Even when survivors reported rape, police and judicial officials were reluctant to act, particularly if alleged perpetrators were politically connected or members of the military or police. LGBTQI+ women and transgender men were particularly vulnerable to sexual violence in the military, and these same groups reported abuse by their families including rape as a form of so-called conversion therapy. Transgender women reported harassment,...more

Countries: El Salvador
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"In addition to kidnapping, gang members often attack and rape women— causing serious injury and sometimes death—to assert their masculinity and power. These intentional acts of violence against women and girls constitute an organizational policy for purposes of Article 7 because they follow a consistent pattern of abuse; are conducted to further the gang’s objective of instilling fear in the civilian population to exert their authority; and are implemented by an organization, i.e., the gangs, that effectively govern gang-controlled neighborhoods." (155). "Gang members also use sexual violence as punishment when civilians do not comply with the gang’s authority. For instance, when an individual refuses an order from gang members, the...more

Countries: Ethiopia
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"Recent conflicts in Northern Ethiopia highlight the severity of this issue. The civil war that began in 2021 was marked by widespread looting, mass rape, gang rape, physical assaults, and other atrocities against women and girls. Similar patterns of civilian attacks and unrest have been reported in the Amhara region. Women and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected during such conflicts. Sexual violence during conflict can also serve as a tool for ethnic cleansing and an effective weapon of war" (2).

Countries: Ethiopia
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"'They tried to rape me and I was thrown to the ground. Then, one of the soldiers fired bullets to scare me, but they hit my hand and then fired another bullet that went through my arm,' Abraha recalls from a hospital bed on the outskirts of Tigray’s capital, Mekelle" (para 2). "'Some girls and I managed to leave the village, but on the road we were caught by Eritrean soldiers,' Saba, a displaced woman from Mai Kadra, told Al Jazeera. 'More than 10 soldiers took turns raping us'". (para 7).

Countries: Canada
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, DV-PRACTICE-1, DTCP-PRACTICE-1

"“We are seeing concerning expressions of hostility toward women alongside continued gaps in how our criminal justice system responds to and prevents violence against women"" (5).

Countries: Estonia
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"Police in Estonia are searching for additional victims of a man in Tallinn suspected of rape. So far, 15 potential victims of sexual violence have come forward, and the suspect has been taken into custody. At the end of March, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) announced that a 56-year-old man had been inviting women from nightclubs and bars in Tallinn back to his apartment in the Keldrimäe neighborhood of the City Center District, where he raped them. According to Reimo Raivet, chief of the PPA's Sexual Crimes and Child Protection Unit, 15 potential victims of a sexual offense have come forward following public appeals shared in the media...more

Countries: Cote D'Ivoire
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, LRW-LAW-1, LRW-LAW-2, LRW-DATA-1, LRCM-LAW-2, DV-LAW-1

“The law prohibited rape of men and women and provided for prison terms of five to 20 years for perpetrators. The law provided for a rebuttable presumption of consent in marital rape cases. The court could impose a life sentence in cases of gang rape if the rapists were related to or held positions of authority over the survivor, or if the survivor was younger than 18. The law did not specifically address domestic violence and intimate partner violence or mandate special penalties for these acts. Authorities did not consistently enforce these laws effectively. Human rights organizations reported family members and community leaders often informally mediated rape accusations without survivor...more

Countries: Congo
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, LRW-LAW-1, LRW-LAW-2, LRCM-LAW-2

“The law prohibited rape, including spousal rape, and prescribed sentences of between 10 and 20 years in prison and monetary fines based on the severity of the crime. The law was written to cover only women; in the country’s legal vernacular, “rape” was used exclusively in cases involving women survivors, while “indecent assault” was used in cases of rape of men. Authorities made efforts to enforce the law, but judgments often took years to be rendered and penalties applied. NGOs and women’s advocacy groups reported rape, especially spousal rape, was common. Judicial sector personnel reported no prosecutions for spousal rape due to the need for courts to institutionalize the law,...more

Countries: China
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, LRW-LAW-1, LRW-LAW-2, DV-PRACTICE-1

“Rape of women was illegal and carried a sentence ranging from three years in prison to death. The law did not recognize spousal rape or rape by a person of the same sex. A separate law on sexual assault included male victims but had a lesser maximum penalty of five years in prison. Most allegations of rape were closed through private settlement rather than prosecution…The government did not effectively enforce laws against rape and domestic violence” (63-64).

Countries: Central African Rep
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1, LRW-LAW-1, LRW-LAW-2, LRCM-PRACTICE-1, LRCM-LAW-2

“The law criminalized all forms of physical and sexual violence, as well as sexual exploitation. The law prohibited rape of all persons regardless of gender, although it did not specifically prohibit spousal rape. Rape was punishable by imprisonment with hard labor, but the law did not specify a minimum sentence. The government did not enforce the law effectively” (30-31).

Countries: Cape Verde
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1

"The National Police regularly accompanied survivors of sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence to the hospital and escorted them to their homes to collect their belongings. Police officers helped survivors go to a safe location. During the year, the government created a fund to help survivors with psychological and legal assistance, as well as to provide food and clothing when needed. The Cabo Verdean Institute for Gender Equality and Equity ran five shelters on four islands, two on Santiago and one each on Fogo, Sao Vicente, and Boa Vista"(p 9).