By Opheera McDoom
KHARTOUM, April 7 (Reuters) - Widespread rape, mostly committed by pro-government forces, is going unpunished in Sudan's Darfur region and peacekeepers are unable to protect victims as young as 11, a rights group said on Monday.
New York-based Human Rights Watch urged Sudan's government to pass and enforce laws immediately to prosecute rapists and protect victims in Darfur, racked by five years of conflict.
"The victims of these horrific attacks have little or no hope of redress in Darfur's current climate of impunity," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director of the group.
"By failing to prosecute the perpetrators, the government is giving them a licence to rape."
The rights group said the numerous rapes it documented in its 44-page report were only a fraction of those in Darfur because most go unreported. Victims are often prosecuted for adultery or treated indifferently by Sudanese police.
"The Sudanese government has declared `zero-tolerance' for sexual violence, yet has done almost nothing to protect these victims," Gagnon added.Read more >>>>>>>>
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