Justine Masika Bihamba - Democratic Republic of Congo
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Justine Masika Bihamba is a human rights worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As a result of her work as the coordinator of a women's human rights organization, Synergy of Women Against Sexual Violence (SFVS), she and her family have been targeted by the DRC military. SFVS counselors have regularly been threatened and attacked because of their work.
On September 18, 2007, six army soldiers forced their way into Justine's house while she was away. They tied up her six children at gunpoint, and demanded to know where their mother was. Justine's 21-year-old daughter pleaded with the soldiers to take what they wanted but not to hurt anyone. One of the soldiers replied that they had not come to steal anything, but rather were on a "well-defined mission" ("une mission bien déterminée"). The group searched the house. One soldier kicked Justine's 24-year-old daughter in the face, breaking her tooth. He then tried to rape Justine's 21-year-old daughter and sexually assaulted her with a knife.
Justine returned home during the attack and immediately telephoned the authorities. In a search of the neighborhood with the military police, Justine and her children identified the soldiers involved in their attack as those guarding an army officer. The military police refused to arrest the men and claimed that there was no evidence against them.
On September 27, 2007, Justine lodged a legal complaint against the soldiers. In the following weeks and months, senior military and civilian authorities promised Justine that justice would be done. One year on from the attack, however, the men have still not been arrested or brought to trial.
Justine regularly sees the same men in the streets that attacked her children in their home. They continue to threaten her. Justine's five-year-old son now fears he will be killed whenever he sees a soldier. Her two daughters have fled abroad.
