In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, children have been abducted and held by armed groups, including M23 fighters. Survivors told journalists they were imprisoned, repeatedly raped, and treated as property rather than human beings (Reuters, Dec 2025). Some victims were very young. Many were held for extended periods. Escape did not mean recovery. Most returned home traumatized, stigmatized, and without access to adequate medical or psychological care.

This was not incidental violence. It was systematic. Sexual slavery remains a deliberate weapon of war, and children are among its most frequent victims (Reuters investigation).

In a separate but related development, a French court sentenced a former Congolese rebel leader to 30 years in prison for crimes against humanity, including rape, sexual slavery, and forced labor committed during operations in Congo (Reuters, Dec 2025). Cases like this are rare. Perpetrators of child slavery almost always assume they will never face justice.

These stories belong together. One shows abuse happening now. The other shows accountability arriving decades later.

Child slavery persists because silence protects those who profit from it. Credible journalism breaks that silence.

What You Can Do

• Learn from verified reporting, not rumors or shock content
• Support organizations working directly with survivors, including
  • UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org
  • Free the Slaves: https://www.freetheslaves.net
  • Anti-Slavery International: https://www.antislavery.org
• Demand accountability from governments and institutions that claim to defend human rights

Silence helps traffickers. Attention helps children.

At StopChildSlavery.com, we choose attention.

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This post was primarily generated using ChatGPT 5.2.. It was grammar-checked using Grammarly, edited, and validated by an actual human. The featured image for this post was generated in Midjourney.