Justice Served: Former Paramilitaries Sentenced for Wartime Sexual Violence in Guatemala

A top Guatemalan court sentenced three former paramilitaries to 40 years each for raping six Indigenous women between 1981 and 1983, amid the nation's civil war. The trial began four months ago, targeting members of the Civil Self-Defense Patrol, armed groups aligned with the army.

Paulina Ixpata, a Maya Achi woman, recounted her harrowing experience during the trial, describing how she was brutally raped and held for 25 days by military patrol. This case is the second trial related to the Maya Achi allegations, first reported between 2011 and 2015, involving 36 victims.

The initial trial in January 2022 sentenced five patrol members to 30 years in prison. In a landmark 2016 case, two military officers were sentenced to 360 years for abusing 15 Q'eqchi women, showcasing ongoing justice efforts in Guatemala for wartime sexual violence.

(With inputs from agencies.)