Male rape hidden

From Rick Bradford I applaud the work of Jo Lusi in treating women who have been raped in conflict situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1 March, p 29). The appallingly high rate of sexual violence affects not only women: 24 per cent of men in eastern DR Congo also reported being attacked. Male rape is endemic in  many of the world’s conflict zones, and is entirely consistent with the motivation for war rape stated in your article, namely  to inflict humiliation upon  the vanquished. Males face a particular plight: in countries where homosexual activity is illegal, a male victim daring to seek help is likely to be imprisoned. This is exactly what has happened to men fleeing  the DR Congo conflict into neighbouring Uganda, which has particularly harsh laws penalising homosexuality. This is a very effective way of keeping the issue of male rape hidden, and it is incumbent upon all of us to expose it. Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, UK