French UN worker accused of rape in Africa missions

September 9, 2008
Reuters
Original Source: http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN957748.html

PARIS (Reuters) - A former U.N. employee went on trial in France on Tuesday accused of raping around 20 underaged girls during missions to Africa between 1998 and 2004.
Didier Bourguet, a mechanic who worked for the United Nations from 1994, faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he is found guilty of a series of sexual offence and pornography charges ranging from rape to corruption of minors.
At the beginning of the hearing in Paris, at which one of his alleged victims was present, Bourguet acknowledged that he had had sex with the girls but he said they had consented.
I admit the sexual relations and the pornography, but I deny rape, he told the court.
A judgment is expected on Thursday.
His lawyer told reporters that Bourguet, who worked in the Central African Republic between 1998-2001 and the Democratic Republic of Congo between 2001-04, would argue that he had no way of knowing the girls were underaged.
A police investigation uncovered paedophile pornography and a series of images and videos stored on Bourguet's personal computer showing him with very young girls, the court heard.
He told police he had met the girls through paid intermediaries and gave them between $10-20.
The United Nations' own internal inspection services said in a 2004 report that they were looking at 72 cases of suspected rape and sexual offences committed by civilian employees and military personnel during the U.N. mission to Congo.