Getty Images / RPM for UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs
27 September, 2002
A 12-year-old former 'bushwife' in Sierra Leone. She was 10 when RUF rebels abducted her.
The soldiers used children and young women as porters, cooks and sex slaves, hence the term 'bushwife'. The scars on this girl's body are as a result of burns made by caustic soda. She was caught trying to escape and tortured as an example to other abductees. The long-running conflict in Sierra Leone finally came to an end in the first months of 2002, leaving many thousands of deeply traumatized women. With very few counseling services available, the women began to form their own groups to address their experiences.
Brent Stirton
Brent Stirton is a special correspondent for Getty Images, and a regular contributor to National Geographic magazine as well as other international titles. He speci...
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