HL Deb 21 June 2004 vol 662 c95WA
Lord Alton of Liverpool

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will raise with the Rwandan Government the concerns of the Rwanda Survivors Fund that failure to care for raped women may result in their deaths before they are able to testify against their attackers. [HL2857]

The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)

The issue was raised recently at the third national summit on unity and reconciliation hosted by the Government of Rwanda's National Unity and Reconciliation Commission. Among the recommendations announced in the summit's communiqué was the following:

  1. "In order to enhance the process of reconciliation of Rwandans, the concerns of genocide victims must be given priority; particularly women who were raped with the intention of infecting them with HIV/AIDS must be assisted in terms of medication".
  2. DfID is currently providing assistance to the National Commission on HIV/AIDS to strengthen its capacity to co-ordinate implementation of the national strategy for controlling HIV/AIDS and will discuss this issue with the commission in this context.