7 May 2025
In January 2022, five former paramilitaries were convicted for sexual violence and crimes against humanity against Maya Achi indigenous women from Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala, during the armed conflict between 1981 and 1985. On January 28, 2025, a second trial in the Maya Achi women’s case began in Guatemala, against three former self defence patrollers (PAC) accused.
The Achi Women Case is one of the most emblematic cases of sexual violence in the internal armed conflict because it illustrates the brutality with which the army and paramilitary groups used rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war to attack women and subjugate the indigenous communities under their control. As survivor Pedrina Lopez highlights:
“We want our testimonies to be valued as indigenous women.”
This video showcases the relevance of this case and the survivors’ decades-long fight for justice:
With the trial in its final phases, we will be keeping a close eye on the verdict coming soon.