Over 400 Iraqi Women Raped Since War's End

by Lisa Ashkenaz Croke

Sun, Sep 7, 2003 12:35PM

The Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq chided coalition forces for their failure to protect women in post-war Iraq, asserting that over 400 have been raped since the war ended four months ago.

"This violence is still a daily occurrence, especially on the streets of Baghdad, without attracting the least attention of the soldiers," director Yanar Mohammed told press covering a sparsely attended Aug. 24 demonstration in Baghdad's Faridous Square.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) has been unresponsive to pleas for increased protection against rising sexual assaults and abductions.

Mohammed said the post-war rise in sexual assaults and kidnappings have turned Iraq into a "no-women's zone," leaving women virtual prisoners inside their homes.

The organization has called for round-the-clock security guards and patrols throughout the country, a community center for victims open 24-hours a day and heavy sentences for sexual criminals.

For more information: http://www.NewsFromTheFront.org

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