A/HRC/25/72 C. Violence against women 63. During the occupation of northern Mali in January 2012, armed groups committed sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage. These conflict-related acts reflect the poor status of women in Malian society and the heritage of slavery. Women and girls of the Bella community, who are regarded as descendants of the slaves of Tuaregs, have often been targeted by rebel groups. In another case, which is expected to be the subject of investigations and prosecutions, members of the “green berets” are accused of raping dozens of spouses and daughters of “red berets” during the attempted counter-coup as a form of reprisal. 64. Allegations of sexual violence have declined significantly since the liberation of northern Mali. The deterioration of the security situation seems to have been an important factor in many cases of sexual violence reported in the north, in particular in Gao and the vicinity, the perpetrators of which are usually members of armed groups. 65. The victims are often minors who are attacked at the home of their parents. In other cases, women were singled out by armed men who attacked the bus in which they were travelling. For example, in the Timbuktu region, five women were raped by armed men in civilian clothing. One victim reported that at around 4 o’clock on the afternoon of 2 November 2013, she was on board a bus on the road between Tonka and Bouna, in the Timbuktu region, in the company of four other women, the driver and an elderly person, when two white vans suddenly appeared with eight armed men on board who ordered the driver to stop, forced the five women to leave the vehicle and raped them for 5 hours. One of the victims told investigators that she had been raped several times by three men who spoke Songhai, Arabic and Tamasheq. 66. Another typical case concerns a 21-year-old woman detained in a rape case since 28 February 2011 in Djenné prison (Mopti region) who claims to have been the victim of repeated physical and sexual violence since March 2013. The victim alleges that when she complained to the prison director after the first rape, he told her to take contraceptive measures. She also contends that she was forced to perform domestic work in the prison and that her earnings were extorted by prison guards and the prison director. 67. On 1 December 2013, three women were abducted and raped during an attack on the Inamoussa of Bozo, a village 44 kilometres north of Gossi (Timbuktu region). The attack was reportedly carried out by a group of armed men identified by the victims as being Tuaregs. There was widespread looting of property during the attack, which caused a panic in the village and led to the closing of schools. 68. The independent expert is concerned about the impunity still enjoyed by the alleged perpetrators of sexual violence in Mali. The victims invariably encounter numerous obstacles to taking their cases to court, in particular in the north, where there is a minimal presence of judicial authorities and a fragile security situation. Many victims and organizations of civil society have reported their frustration about the failure to prosecute known cases of rape, a circumstance which may impede endeavours to achieve national reconciliation. Government efforts, supported by the United Nations, to enhance the capacity of the security forces and ex-combatants to prevent sexual violence and protect women and girls must be conducted in the framework of a global strategy that focuses on the victims, provides for reparation and guarantees non-recurrence of such acts. D. The situation of children 69. Children are one of the biggest categories of victims of the Malian crisis. The resurgence of violence and the insecurity in the north greatly increased the risk of abuse and GE.14-10118 13