An internal U.N. report has revealed that over 260 female inmates were sexually assaulted during an attempted mass escape from Makala Central Prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) earlier this month. The attempted breakout, which led to the deaths of 129 people, took place in a prison severely overcrowded with over 15,000 inmates, far exceeding its capacity of 1,500.
The U.N. report stated that 268 of the 348 women incarcerated at the prison were subjected to sexual violence during the chaos, with some victims as young as 19. Many female prisoners reported being raped multiple times as male inmates overpowered guards and attacked women in their housing blocks.
This is considered one of the worst cases of mass sexual assault during a prison escape in recent years. President Felix Tshisekedi has launched an investigation into the incident, pledging to address overcrowding and improve security in DRC’s prisons.