Alarming numbers as conflict related sex-violence continues to ravage DRC
Members of Ending Clergy Abuse hold a banner that reads "No to sexual abuse in the church" as they protest outside the Notre Dame De Lingwala cathedral, where Pope Francis came to meet Roman Catholic bishops, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on February 2, 2023. Reuters
In 2023, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faced yet another devastating year of sexual violence — 25,166 victims sought medical treatment following sexual violations, marking a grim continuation of the epidemic there.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, reported treating an unprecedented number of survivors, with the figure representing more than a two-fold increase from the previous year’s 9,724 cases. That was at least two victims treated every hour throughout the year.
