大象传媒

大象传媒 World Service
Last updated:聽23 november, 2009 - 17:50 GMT

No Way Back

Abducted, abused, returned... and rejected. The Ugandan girls rejected by their families after being taken and abused by the Lords Resistance Army.

Between 1987 and 2006 in Northern Uganda, 25,000 children were abducted by the Lords Resistance Army - a brutal guerilla insurgency, led by Joseph Kony.

Creeping into villages at night, Kony and his men captured large groups of children.

The insurgents made the children commit horrific atrocities - even forcing them to murder their parents.

Half of these children were girls, who were made to marry rebel leaders.

They were raped, tortured and often mutilated, and many became pregnant.

Since peace has been established, only half of the children have returned home.

Often mentally and physically scarred, they've faced enormous difficulties re-integrating in their communities.

And for the girls the challenge has been much greater.

Many of their parents feel ashamed of their daughters' experiences with the insurgents.

They find it so difficult to accept them back that some girls have been completely rejected by their families and community.

Outlook reporter Candida Beveridge went to Uganda to meet some of the girls to find out about the problems they now face back back at home.