28882: Selby (ask) foreign discourse about Haiti, rape (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Lynn Selby <lselby@mail.utexas.edu>

Hello,

I heard word-of-mouth that the infamous cablegram from the U.S. embassy on 
April 22, 1994 that claimed that rape is a part of Haitian "culture" was 
actually echoing a statement made by the papal nuncio. I have not been able to 
find any other sources/publications to substantiate this, and I would really 
appreciate help from any one interested in the Corbett discussion group on the 
supposed comment by the papal nuncio, the issue of representation of rape in 
Haiti, and of sexuality and Black women in Haiti. I learned about the cablegram 
through a really good anthropology dissertation written by Erica Caple James in 
2003. I am providing a quote from the cablegram cited in her dissertation for 
your reference. The cable gram was sent from the U.S. embassy to then Secretary 
of State Warren Christopher, Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, and others 
in the (Papa) Bush administration.

A case in point is the sudden epidemic of rapes reported by pro-Aristide human 
rights activists and by the ICM.[1] For a range of /cultural /reasons (not 
pleasant to contemplate), rape has never been considered or reported as a 
serious crime here….We are, frankly, suspicious of the sudden, high number of 
reported rapes, particularly in this /culture/, occurring at the same time that 
Aristide activists seek to draw a comparison between Haiti and Bosnia.[2] 
[author’s emphasis]

Much thanks in advance. Please contact me directly at lselby@mail.utexas.edu.
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[1] ICM: International Civilian Mission

[2] As quoted in James 2003, 243.