Charity pulls ‘undignified’ rape survivor images

MEDECINS Sans Frontières (MSF) has removed pictures of a 16-year-old Congolese rape survivor from its website, after criticism that it was unethical.

A pair of photographs, which feature an orphaned teenage girl who had been gang-raped by three armed men two months earlier, were taken down following condemnation on Twitter.

MSF had defended publishing the photographs, saying that the teenager came forward showing a “strong desire to testify”, had lengthy conversations with “medical and psychology teams” and gave informed consent.

However, it has now backed down, describing the publication as “a misjudgment” and removing the photos from its website.

The pictures were taken by Newsha Tavakolian, a photographer who teamed up with MSF in March last year to raise awareness about sexual violence in DR Congo’s north-eastern Ituri province.

Ms Tavakolian said the teenager travelled to an MSF centre to talk to her after hearing of her presence. She wanted to speak out and tell her story,” Ms Tavakolian told The Art Newspaper.

“She was determined to do so. I saw a [determination] in her, as someone who could not rely on a legally viable adult to share the truth about her. That is why I included her story,” she said.

Ms Tavakolian has expressed disappointment at the decision, claiming it was taken without her knowledge.

Among the critics of the decision to publish the photographs was Sherizaan Minwalla, a human rights lawyer, who described it as “problematic”.

“I don’t understand why the photographer thought that exposing a child like this would be OK. I don’t think it is a dignified portrayal of a rape victim.”