Child rape and sexually transmitted disease in Africa

In the African nation of Sierra Leone children as young as 3 are being raped and infected with diseases such as gonorrhea. Sexual violence is a public health crisis in much of the world, and women and girls ages 15 to 44 are more likely to be maimed or killed by men than by malaria, cancer, war or traffic accidents combined, particularly in African countries like Sierra Leone, Liberia and Congo. The International Rescue Committee, which runs the rape center in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, says that 26% of the rape victims it treats are 11 years old or younger. Recently, the center said, a 10-month-old baby was brought in for treatment after a rape. The International Rescue Committee rape centers have treated more than 9,000 patients since 2003 — and fewer than one-half of 1% of the rapes have resulted in criminal convictions.