rape

Khadire Tahiraj (left) runs the Center for Promotion of Women's Rights in the Drenas municipality in central Kosovo. The center cares for scores of wartime rape survivors, including Sana (right). Sana is not her real name; she chose it for herself because

World News

In Kosovo, War Rape Survivors Can Now Receive Reparations. But Shame Endures For Many

2:12pm April 06, 2018

by Joanna Kakissis

Thousands of women who were raped in the war that resulted in Kosovo's split from Serbia are eligible for a monthly government stipend of $280. Many are reluctant to claim it. Only 250 have signed up.

Queue Listen Now

The bill would provide "adequate protection to certain vulnerable groups," says Mohamed Ahmed, director of the legal department of Somaliland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Health & Safety

Somaliland Debates A Tough New Penal Code For 'Rape And Sexual Offences'

4:07pm January 30, 2018

by Sasha Ingber

Current laws recognize some offenses but they're narrowly defined. "We want to properly address the issue once and for all," says Mohamed Ahmed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

James Meadours (left), Debbie Robinson and Thomas Mangrum share their stories about sexual assault.

In Their Own Words: People With Intellectual Disabilities Talk About Rape

7:00am January 20, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

In the final piece of NPR's series on the sexual assault epidemic against people with intellectual disabilities, we hear from victims themselves about how these experiences shape their lives.

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Lyons-Boswick goes through old case files.

National

How Prosecutors Changed The Odds To Start Winning Some Of The Toughest Rape Cases

1:26pm January 16, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

A rape case 25 years ago revolutionized justice for people with intellectual disabilities. They were "unwinnable" rape cases, until prosecutors figured out the secret.

Rosemary adjusts one of Natalie's many dolls.

National

'She Can't Tell Us What's Wrong'

10:42am January 10, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

Many people with intellectual disabilities can't talk or have difficulty speaking — and are unable to report when they've been raped or sexually assaulted.

A participant helps Park hang the agenda on the wall at the start of class.

For Some With Intellectual Disabilities, Ending Abuse Starts With Sex Ed

1:41pm January 09, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

The high rates of sexual assault among people with intellectual disabilities can make romantic relationships difficult. One class aims to teach them about healthy relationships and sexuality.

Queue Listen Now

Erika Harrell writes the Justice Department's annual report about crime against all people with disabilities.

National

The Sexual Assault Epidemic No One Talks About

1:35pm January 08, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

People with intellectual disabilities are the victims of sexual assault at a rate seven times higher than those without disabilities. But this epidemic receives little attention.

Participants in a candlelight vigil in 2013 mark the one-year anniversary of the death of a 23-year-old woman who was gang-raped on a bus in Delhi.

Health & Safety

In Interviews With 122 Rapists, Student Pursues Not-So-Simple Question: Why?

7:00am December 16, 2017

by Kamala Thiagarajan

Shattered by the rape and subsequent death of a student in Delhi in 2012, a graduate student in psychology wanted to know why they did it — and if they felt remorse.

WBUR reporter Martha Bebinger (right) walks with Kristin, a drug user who says she has been repeatedly sexually assaulted while high on drugs.

Women With Opioid Addiction Live With Daily Fear Of Assault, Rape

2:50pm September 21, 2017

by Martha Bebinger

Such attacks among women and some men with an opioid addiction often go unreported because the victims fear retaliation from drug dealers or charges from police.

This photograph, taken on July 26, 2017, shows the room where a Pakistani teenage girl was raped as an act of revenge ordered by the tribal council in Muzaffarabad, a suburb of the city of Multan.

Health & Safety

Tribal Council Orders 'Revenge Rape' In Pakistan

5:03pm July 27, 2017

A 12-year-old girl was raped in a field. Then, on the orders of the tribal council, the girl's brother sexually violated the sister of the first rapist.