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Israeli Soldiers Accused of Sexually Abusing Palestinian Children - by Stephen Lendman
On September 10, Israel's YnetNews.com headlined, "IDF sexually abused Palestinian children," headlining:
"Damning (September 9) CNN report cites uncorroborated sexual abuse charges of Palestinian children detained by IDF." Military officials refused to "respond to abuse charges as no details (were) provided," a spokesman saying "We cannot address general claims on the subject in the absence of a specific complaint."
CNN's report "featured an unidentified Palestinian boy claiming that IDF forces attempted to insert an object into his rectum," and that dozens of officers present stood around laughing while it happened.
The network cited Defence of Children International (DCI) as its source, an independent NGO involved in promoting and protecting children's rights globally for over 30 years, founded on the date the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) passed 10 years later.
In May 2010, it asked the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to investigate 14 cases of sexual assault or threatened assault it uncovered - committed by Israeli soldiers, interrogators, and police from January 2009 - April 2010. The abused children were from 13 - 16 years old, detained for offenses like stone-throwing harming no one.
DCI-Palestine expressed alarm about sworn affidavits children provided, explaining instances of sexual assault or threatened assault to obtain confessions. In 2009 alone, DCI reviewed 100 sworn affidavits attesting to the following:
-- 97% of children said their hands were tied during interrogations;
-- 92% said they were blindfolded or hooded;
-- 81% said forced confessions were made;
-- 69% said they were beaten or kicked;
-- 65% said they were arrested from midnight to 4AM;
-- 50% said they were verbally abused;
-- 49% cited threats or inducements;
-- 32% were forced to sign confessions in Hebrew they didn't understand;
-- 26% cited painful position abuse;
