Que deviennent les enfants nés du viol et leur mère vingt ans après le génocide au Rwanda ?

Abstract

De nombreuses femmes se sont retrouvées mères d’enfants nés d’un viol qu’elles avaient subi pendant le génocide de 1994. Ces rescapées du génocide ont été violées, torturées et parfois laissées pour mortes par les génocidaires. Elles se sont retrouvées avec des enfants qu’elles n’avaient pas désirés et dont l’existence même leur a souvent valu d’être rejetées par leur famille et mises au ban de la communauté. Les enfants considérés comme les enfants des bourreaux n’ont pas pu bénéficier d’une famille accueillante et aimante. Leurs mères n’ont pu bénéficier pour les élever ni d’un tissu affectif soutenant ni de l’aide financière octroyée pour les enfants rescapés du génocide. Nous sommes parties à leur rencontre pour voir ce qu’étaient devenues ces familles stigmatisées, précarisées affectivement et paupérisées matériellement vingt ans après les massacres. L’objectif de l’étude était de relever les fragilités et les ressources psychiques et relationnelles dont disposent ces familles, afin de dégager les moyens et les conditions d’un dispositif systémique susceptible d’aider ces enfants nés du viol et leurs mères à se relever et à se reconstruire.

Children born of genocidal rape: What do we know about their experiences and needs?

“…The youth were faced with the question of how to belong to both the victims’ and perpetrators' families (Erjavec & Volčič, 2010a; Hogwood et al., 2017; Muhayisa et al., 2016). The disclosure of one's origins revealed the truth about the fathers’ crime, and as a result some young people lost interest in building a relationship with and a sense of belonging to their fathers and/or their fathers’ families (Denov & Piolanti, 2020).…”

“…Young people across several studies experienced an ambivalent and changing relationship with their mothers; at one moment they felt loved and cared for, and at other times they felt mistreated and abused. Some mothers asserted that their children were burdens that they had to carry without any support from their families, the community, or the government (Denov et al., 2017; Godard & Ukeye, 2012; Muhayisa et al., 2016).…”

“…In addition to the maternal genocide‐ and rape‐related stress to which the offspring were exposed during the prenatal period, some young people survived unsuccessful clandestine abortion attempts and pre‐ and postnatal starvation intended to make the fetus or the infant suffer (Godard & Ukeye, 2012). Many mothers did not receive prenatal care and/or the children themselves did not receive essential postnatal health care such as vaccinations (Godard & Ukeye, 2012; Muhayisa et al., 2016). Physical and emotional abuse from their families and communities, especially at younger ages, was not uncommon among young people included in the reviewed studies (Erjavec & Volčič, 2010a; Muhayisa et al., 2016).…”

“…Many mothers did not receive prenatal care and/or the children themselves did not receive essential postnatal health care such as vaccinations (Godard & Ukeye, 2012; Muhayisa et al., 2016). Physical and emotional abuse from their families and communities, especially at younger ages, was not uncommon among young people included in the reviewed studies (Erjavec & Volčič, 2010a; Muhayisa et al., 2016).…”

“…Behaviors such as frequent crying, aggression, withdrawal, and other traumatic symptoms were also commonly observed among the young people born of genocidal rape (Godard & Ukeye, 2012; Muhayisa et al., 2016). Banyanga et al.…”