A UN report indicates that over 260 women were sexually assaulted during the Congo prison escape

An internal U.N. report examined by Reuters revealed that over 260 female inmates were sexually assaulted during an attempted mass escape from Makala Central Prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo this month.

A minimum of 129 individuals were killed when prison officers employed live ammunition against inmates who were attempting to escape from the Kinshasa prison, which, according to official figures, has a capacity of 1,500 prisoners but housed over 15,000 individuals.

The government had stated that women had been sexually violated following the attempted breakout in the early hours of September 2, but it did not provide a specific figure.

However, an internal U.N. report obtained by Reuters regarding the incident indicated that 268 of the 348 women incarcerated at Makala had been the victims of sexual violence, including rape, during the pandemonium. Seventeen of these individuals were under the age of 19.

The victims’ specific numbers were provided in the report, as each required emergency contraception and post-attack supplies within 72 hours.

Requests for comment were not promptly addressed by a government spokesperson on Thursday.

A victim who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals informed Reuters via telephone that at least twelve inmates had sexually assaulted her.

“I observed the male prisoners throwing themselves at the female prisoners; it was a dreadful sight,” stated another female prisoner who witnessed the events. She also mentioned that elderly women had been assaulted.

Additionally, she requested anonymity due to safety concerns.

According to them, the block in which the majority of the women were held was targetted by prisoners during the breakout attempt. This was one of seven of the prison’s eleven blocks that were vandalized.

Congolese rights defender Emmanuel Cole, who has been monitoring prisons since 1997, stated, “This is the worst case we have seen in terms of the number of rapes during an escape.”

He stated that the U.N. figures were likely to be an underestimate, as some of the victims may have been too apprehensive to speak out due to the potential repercussions.

President Felix Tshisekedi has directed an inquiry into the Makala prison escape and a review of the primary prisons to alleviate overcrowding. The incident did not result in any reported escapes.