Security & Strategic Review - August 2020

The news that seven Colombian soldiers had pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl from the indigenous Emberá tribe prompted widespread public outrage, and led to a barrage of similar cases from across the country making national headlines in June and July. Some had never been reported, but many more had seemingly been suppressed by state security officials, sparking a wider debate on the effectiveness of military justice in Colombia, and the consequences for victims of human rights abuses, especially those from marginalised or minority communities.