Imaginarios y marcos valorativos de funcionarios de justicia sobre víctimas de violación sexual en Cali

Abstract

This paper forms part of a more extensive research project called “From victims
to survivors and living persons: integral attention in cases of sexual violation”,
developed in Cali, Colombia. The study enquires about the needs of female
victims/survivors of sexual violence, and discusses the role of the judicial
officials in the process of accusation. The problematization of this situation is
aimed at the transformation of services in law enforcement institutions. The
paper analyses a series of accusations relating to rape in 25 proceedings from
2000 to 2003, all of them cold cases. Semantic fields, apparently invisible to the
official during the reporting process, are exposed. Two conclusions are drawn:
first, that stereotypes and prejudices held by judicial officials about the victim
affect mediation even before the accuser is given recognition as a victim. Second,
that instrumentalization of victims in order to obtain evidence is a dehumanizing
procedure, as it may induce self-guilt, shame and a second victimization.