Widow Pain of Sexual Assault

A young widow living in Woldiya, reveals the inhumane sexual assault she suffered when Militants of the terrorist TPLF was in control of the town.

Two militants of the terrorist TPLF  came at the middle of the night around 12 pm.

It was raining heavily. They told me that  they wanted to stay at the veranda  until the rains would stop. They stood at the  door of my house; I was able see them through the hole of the door and  many  of them were waiting  outside.

I was in my bed with my child; a girl from my neighbor was also  staying with me.

After a while they knocked my door telling me that they wanted to  get shelter from the rain and  asked me to open the door.

I refused to do so.I told them I was  sleeping with my son.

They insisted that I should open.

I  persisted  too.

Then they asked me to give them a match.

I gave them the match through the door’s hole.

When I gave them the match they asked me why I was not willing to open the door.

They told me  that they have suspicion that  I might have ENDF soldier, hiding at my house.

I told them there was no one inside except me and my son.

They started to violently break the door saying they wanted to search the house.

I pleaded them leave me alone. They shouted that I should open.

I opened  the door.

They searched the house and even break my wardrobe,

They searched the back of my house too.

When they saw the photo  of my husband, they asked me who it was.

I told them it was the picture of my late husband but they insisted that he is a soldier.

They took the girl who was staying with me to another room.

they said that I am the wife of an Ethiopian soldier.

My three- year-old kid was on the bed; he cried and begged them not to kill me.

But the TPLF soldier pointed gun at my him, ordering him to keep quite.

I told him I am a widow but he raped me.

They ransacked my house. Nobody would appear at  that hour no matter how you scream.

Even when he got out he warn my kid to keep quite.

When he got out for the turn of  his friends who were waiting outside,  I quickly took my child and run through the back door to the forest.

Now, my child is traumatized whenever,  he sees a soldier with a gun he become nervous. Yesterday when we went  out to celebrate the victory of the ENDFs he was so disturbed and begged me to run to the forest.

You would be moved if you see him, he is seriously traumatized.

Me and my neighbor still do not know if we have  contracted HIV, we only took post pill.

Source: Ethiopia News Agency