French court convicts UN worker of rape in Africa

September 12, 2008
Reuters
Original Source: http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN227489.html

PARIS (Reuters) - A French court sentenced a former U.N. employee to nine years in jail on Friday for raping young girls during missions to Africa between 1998 and 2004.
It was the first time the French justice system has pursued a member of an international organisation for crimes committed abroad.
Didier Bourguet, 44, was a mechanic who worked for the United Nations from 1994 and took part in several overseas operations.
The court heard that Bourguet raped his underaged victims while working in the Central African Republic between 1998-2001 and the Democratic Republic of Congo between 2001-04.
A police investigation uncovered child pornography and a series of images and videos stored on Bourguet's personal computer showing him with very young girls.
Bourguet acknowledged he had had sex with the girls, but he said they had consented. His lawyer argued he could not have known their exact age.
One of his victims attended the hearings and the court rejected his assertions.
The judge said that he should undergo eight years of treatment when he finally leaves prison or face an additional three years behind bars.
The United Nations' own internal inspection services said in a 2004 report 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.