Rape and sexual abuse are widespread in Nicaragua. The majority of victims are young. More than two thirds of reports to police from 1998 to 2008 involved girls under 17.

In Nicaragua, as in other countries, rape and sexual abuse are under-reported crimes, especially when they involve young girls and perpetrators are family members.

Many girls do not speak out, fearing that they will be blamed. Many also do not receive the support they need to recover and seek justice. Most girls suffer in silence.

Young survivors of rape or sexual abuse get little government support to rebuild their lives.The lucky ones find help at independent women's centres, but this does not guarantee assistance to all girls who need it.

The long-term consequences of sexual violence are devastating. Some young survivors face the extra trauma of finding out that they have been made pregnant by the rapist. For many, the idea of giving birth to a child as the result of rape is unbearable.

In Nicaragua, the government criminalized all forms of abortion in all circumstances in 2008 – even for child rape victims. This has left some girls with little choice. Criminalization does not stop abortions. Instead, it forces women and girls to turn in desperation to clandestine or self-induced abortion, endangering their lives and health – and risking prosecution and imprisonment.

Amnesty International is calling on the government of Nicaragua to urgently develop, fully resource, and implement an integrated national plan to prevent sexual violence, protect survivors and ensure justice and reparation to survivors. The government must also end the criminalization of abortion, so that young girls pregnant as a result of rape can make their own decisions without the fear of imprisonment.

Photo Credit: © Amnesty International (photographer: Grace Gonzalez)