'Available Meat:' Rape Used as Weapon of War in Guatemala

Rape and sexual violence were used as weapons of war in Guatemala, two expert witnesses in the Sepur Zarco sex slavery trial said Thursday.

The case, now in its third week, seeks to prove that the systematic rape of 11 women at the Sepur Zarco military base in the 1980s was a war crime. The indigenous Q’eqchi’ women were held captive as domestic slaves after their husbands were disappeared and murdered by the military.

Gender specialist Dr. Rita Laura Segato told the court: “Rape is not 'collateral damage' in war; rape is used strategically, it is a weapon of war.”

Expert witness Paloma Soria testifies about sexual violence in conflict contexts in the #SepurZarco trial #Guatemala pic.twitter.com/v69PJqgjW6

— Jo-Marie Burt (@jomaburt) February 18, 2016

Paloma Soria, a lawyer who specializes in issues surrounding gender, said the state must hold accountable those responsible for the crimes. “The Guatemalan state has the obligation of investigating, judging and punishing gender crimes,” she said.

Jo-Marie Burt, a trial observer with The Washington Office on Latin America, told teleSUR that it is important to understand that rape is not just a “byproduct of war … because boys will be boys.”

“It’s a message. It’s a way to humiliate, not just the women, but their husbands and their community. It’s a way to say you are powerless against us. It’s a way of saying we control you, and because we control you we control what happens in this community. And that’s what happened in Sepur Zarco,” she said.

According to Burt, the women suffered profound isolation after the systematic rapes and entire communities were fragmented.

“One witness said they were called ‘available meat,’” Burt added.

ANALYSIS: Sepur Zarco Trial: Guatemala Women Seek Justice for Sex Slavery

Earlier in the trial, witness Julia Coc revealed that fellow victim Dominga Choc was forced to dig a grave where she and the bodies of her daughters Herlinda and Anita were buried.

“She had to dig her grave and (the soldiers) killed her even though she just finished washing their clothes,” said Coc.

Coc also described the murder of her own daughter and grandchildren, who were the only three deaths documented as part of the crimes committed by the army in the Sepur Zarco military base and the surrounding area in the 1980s.

Coc also confirmed that Dominga was taken with her two children to wash clothes at the Rojquipur River and was sexually abused before being killed.

“They told her to wash herself because they were going to set her free, but it was actually to rape her,” Coc told the court.

She added that her own daughter and granddaughters were constantly unwell due to the continual sexual abuse.

When the remains of her family were exhumed, the bones and clothes of her daughter were found, but in the case of her granddaughters their bones “were already dust” and all that was left were their underwear, she concluded.

Respecto al uso del perraje,una de las víctimas dice que se deben cubrir porque aún no alcanzan la justicia @soy_502 pic.twitter.com/l1yUY7PrxO

— Marcia Zavala (@MarciaZSoy502) February 13, 2016

"In reference to the pack of dogs, one of the victims said there must have been a coverup because justice has not been served."

Throughout the trial, the witnesses have worn scarves over their heads to hide their faces. According to Burt, this is because of the “social stigma” they could face from their traditional rural communities.

Outside Supreme Court building in #Guatemala cars pass by with posters attacking human rights defenders #SepurZarco pic.twitter.com/QGwfBzQNmg

— Jo-Marie Burt (@jomaburt) February 18, 2016

But there are also safety concerns. Protesters have gathered outside the courtroom opposing the trial, “yelling through a bullhorn that the victims are liars, and the people prosecuting are terrorists,” Burt explained.

The historic trial, which began Feb. 1 this year, seeks to prove that 11 women were victims of sexual abuse and domestic slavery in the the Sepur Zarco military base, between 1982 and 1986. It considers the acts committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Standing accused are Coronel Esteelmer Francisco Reyes Giron and former soldier Heriberto Valdez Asij, who have been been in prison for the last 20 years.