Duchess Sophie makes secret Congo visit to highlight sexual violence crisis
Sophie spent four days in Congo, meeting survivors and supporting organisations on the frontline of sexual violence
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has carried out a secret high-security trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to shine a light on the devastating use of rape as a weapon of war.
The 60-year-old royal spent four days in the conflict-torn nation, meeting survivors and supporting organisations on the frontline of sexual violence.
The Duchess, a longtime champion of the UN’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda, travelled to Beni on Monday, where she listened to heart-wrenching testimonies from women and children who had been brutally assaulted.
Sophie also visited the Panzi Clinic in Kinshasa, founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Denis Mukwege, where she witnessed the surgery of a five-year-old girl injured by sexual violence.
Moved by the stories, Sophie told reporters: “How can we have reached a point where rape is just accepted as part of daily life? Each story deserves to be heard, and each survivor deserves recognition.”
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