Home »
» Human Rights Watch : THE WEEK IN RIGHTS Februrary 14, 2013
Canada's Highway of Tears and Police Neglect
Photo © 2012 Samer Muscati/Human Rights Watch Where can British Colombia's indigenous women turn for help when the police are known to be unresponsive, and, in some cases, abusive?
Dozens of women and girls have been murdered or have disappeared since the late 1960s near British Colombia's infamous Highway 16, called the "Highway of Tears." Most were indigenous, and most of the cases remain unsolved.
Not only have the police failed to deal with this violence and protect indigenous women, they have sometimes compounded the problem with their own abuses.
Women who call the police for help with domestic violence may find themselves blamed for the situation, shamed for alcohol use, or even arrested for trying to defend themselves. We received reports of police Tasering or punching indigenous girls, and even assaulting or raping women.
 | In Senegal, Hissène Habré Court Opens
The inauguration of a special court in Senegal marks a turning point in the long campaign to bring to justice the former dictator of Chad, Hissène Habré.
|
 | In Ukraine, Breakthrough for Cancer Pain
Ukraine’s recent registration of oral morphine, a strong pain medication used most frequently to treat severe cancer pain, is a major step toward improving end-of-life care.
|
 | In Yemen, Political Interference in Massacre Probe
Nearly two years after the Friday of Dignity massacre, the victims and their families await justice. If Yemen doesn’t fairly investigate and prosecute those responsible for this deadly attack, it risks perpetuating the culture of impunity at the heart of Yemen’s uprising.
|
 | VIDEO | | |  | | | In Yemen, March 18, 2011 marked the deadliest day in the anti-government protests. Yemen’s top officials were never questioned. Watch Now >> |
| | | PUBLICATION | | |  | | Those Who Take Us Away: Abusive Policing and Failures in Protection of Indigenous Women and Girls in Northern British Columbia, Canada
Download Now >> |
| | | VIDEO | | |  | | Two lawyers in Cameroon have received a series of death threats because they are defending clients accused of homosexuality.
Watch Now >> |
|
