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#blamemyparents: Bearing the burden - Jean Claude, Rwanda

November 29, 2014

Jean Claude has no idea who his father is. All he knows is that he was one of the men who raped his mother during the Rwandan genocide - a crime that still has a huge impact on his and his mother's life.

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Jean Claude from Rwanda (Photo: DW/R. Richer)
Image: DW/Gönna Ketels

#blamemyparents: Bearing the burden - Jean Claude, Rwanda

When he was still a little boy, now 19-year-old Jean Claude would often ask who his father is. But his mother Beata, an ethnic Tutsi, could never answer his question. That’s because she was raped by several Hutu militiamen during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The attack left her scarred and unable to love her son who was the product of this crime. Even today, both Jean Claude and his mother still struggle with the stigma and psychological damage. Life Links reporter Gönna Ketels met the two in a small Rwandan village.

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Behind the scenes - Gönna Ketels on #blamemyparents

For #blamemyparents, Life Links reporter Gönna went to Rwanda to meet Jean Claude. He doesn't know his father, who raped his mother during the Rwandan genocide. Listen to Gönna talking about her time with Jean Claude.
November 24, 2014