ABSTRACT
Traumatic experiences leave a deep imprint, and this is particularly true of rape and sexual violence. These are crimes that have a myriad of long-term effects, including physical, psychological, socio-economic and familial. On 26 April 2012, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) convicted its most high-profile defendant, Charles Taylor. A strong emphasis on psychological consequences has contributed to the de-individualization of survivors. The genocide in Rwanda significantly contributed to destabilizing its western neighbour, the DRC, as large numbers of Hutus crossed the border to avoid revenge attacks by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in July 1994. Over the last two decades, thousands of men, women and children have been subjected to rape and sexual violence in the DRC, particularly in the east of the country. Employing a phenomenological approach, Mukamana and Brysiewicz's study explores the lived experiences of seven women who were raped during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
