The Other Side of History. Sexual Violence Against Men

While women are often the victims of sexual violence, it must not be denied that men can also be victims. In fact, beyond identifying the victims and the crime itself, the aim is to identify cases that allow for a more useful and comprehensive interpretation of the phenomenon. It should be noted that the testimonies presented in this document were obtained mainly from a review of the documentary collection transferred by the Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación (CVR) to the Defensoría del Pueblo, although many of them are not part of the Final Report. These testimonies do not constitute a representative sample of the sexual violence suffered by men during the internal armed conflict, since - as is well known - in situations such as those experienced, it is unlikely to know the objective dimensions in quantitative terms; however, it is sufficient to begin a reflection on the matter and to help place the topic in the sphere of debate.