All language subtitles for Small.Small.Thing.2013.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG2_English

♪

♪

Our story begins
in Monrovia, Liberia.

At daybreak children
run off to school.

But these kids
are the lucky ones.

♪

It's January.

Dry season.

The heat turns everything
to dust.

It blows in our eyes
as we make our way

through the city.

We're going to John F. Kennedy
Memorial Hospital

to meet a very small girl
with a very big story to tell.

♪

Liberian women,
endured the injustices

during the years
of our civil war

gang raped at will,
forced into domestic slavery,

yet it is the women
who labored

and advocated for peace
throughout our region.

My administration
shall endeavor

to give Liberian women
prominence

in all affairs
of our country.

The future belongs to us
because we have

taken charge of it.

♪ [singing in
foreign language] ♪

♪

♪

This beautiful mansion
is one of many homesteads

that were once the residences
of Southern planters.

We can get some idea
of the luxuries

that a wealthy
plantation family enjoyed.

Most of the workers
are Negroes

who live on the plantation.

But the plantation was more
than an economic organization.

It was a social organization
as well.

The planter and his slaves
were part of

an unusual class system.

The sharp division of people
into two main groups

left a lasting influence.

Liberia is often called
America's stepchild.

The country was founded
in 1840

by 13,000 freed
American slaves

sent back to Africa by the
American Colonization Society.

But the Americo-Liberians
were not the first people

to live on this land.

♪

The Americo-Liberians
colonized the existing

indigenous tribes.

They created a replica
of American society in Liberia

maintaining their
English speaking,

Americanized way of life.

♪

And building churches
and houses

resembling those
of the Southern US.

They named the capital
Monrovia

after James Monroe,

the fifth president
of the United States.

Announcing the dawn
of a new day of progress,

enlightenment,
and forward marching

of a nation
and its people.

The Americo-Liberians
never made up

more than five percent
of the population,

yet they held
all the power.

They've kept our country down
for a long time

and we feel that if we
keep them alive

they will be a threat
to the nation.

We have to execute them.

I'm happy the execution
is going on now.

A military coup ended
the Americo-Liberian hold

on the government in 1980

and started 23 years
of fighting.

In 1989 Charles Taylor
rose to power

and the violence escalated
to civil war.

The people must no longer
be slaves!

The cotton field days
are over!

We are free at last!

Girls and women were raped,
subjected to sexual slavery,

and in many cases
unwanted pregnancy.

Pregnant women were
cut open

to settle bets as to the sex
of the unborn child.

Child soldiers had
their innocence stolen

and were forced to commit
murders, rapes and mutilations

at a very young age.

Not only rape in
its commonly understood sense,

but also the rape of
childhood,

the rape of innocence,
possibly the rape of hope.

♪

By 2003 over 250,000 people
had been killed

and the economy
was in ruin.

President Taylor
needs to step down.

[angry chanting]

Taylor was forced
into exile

and eventually arrested
for war crimes.

The trial chamber
unanimously sentences you

to a single term
of imprisonment

of fifty years.

In 2006 Liberians
democratically elected

the first female president
in Africa.

We have heard you loudly.

The international community
predicted a golden age

of women's rights
in Liberia.

The future belongs to us
because we have

taken charge of it.

There may seem to be peace,

but in the hearts
of the people

the violence continues.

♪

♪

John F. Kennedy Hospital
was once considered

the best in Africa.

Government funded
it sits in the center

of Monrovia.

Patients say that JFK
stands for

"Just For Killing".

[wailing]

And when we arrive
someone has just died.

A woman wails,
displaying her grief

for everyone to see.

Health services,
over many years of conflict,

and dysfunctionality
deteriorated quite a bit

to the point where
we've not been able

to really meet the basic needs
of our people.

♪

An American medical mission
arrived one week ago.

They found a little girl
in the ward

sitting in
her own feces.

Her hair was yellowed,
her belly bloated,

all signs of severe
malnutrition.

This nine year old girl
had become too ashamed to eat

because when she did she
would defecate uncontrollably.

But for her,
this was nothing new.

It had been her life
for the past two years.

We join the surgeons
as they follow up

on the operation
which saved Olivia's life.

[girl screaming]

No, no, no, no,
don't do that.

Olivia, Olivia.

We need a 25 gauge angio now

or two.

The male nurses
try to hold her down,

but Olivia
will have none of it.

You're okay,
you're all right,

you're okay.

I don't wanna go there!

You're staying right here
with me,

you're staying right here
with me for now, okay?

I don't wanna go there!

Okay, baby, it's okay,
it's okay.

She'll have to be
sedated.

You just close your eyes small,

when you wake up,
everything will be alright.

Don't be scared, don't cry.

[speaking foreign language]

Look at me, I promise.

Nothing will happen to you.

They made you feel better,
now you can eat?

The doctors just want
to check it.

The other room had too many
people around.

Here it's just you.

That's why they want
to check it here.

What are you crying for?

We aren't even doing anything.

What are you crying for?

This is Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah,
the head of OB-GYN at JFK.

She is one of the few
remaining surgeons

in the country,

and certainly has her work
cut out for her.

When I saw her she was
a little or thin

and very sad.

And on examination
I found out

that she had an opening

between her rectum
and her vagina

so there was stool leaking
into the vagina

and had destroyed
her entire bottom

that was untreated
for about two years.

Olivia's condition
is called a fistula.

It was too severe
to be repaired

when they found her.

So they diverted her intestine
to a colostomy bag.

That way the tissue
can heal

and hopefully doesn't
get infected.

Olivia.

Everybody is looking for you,
see?

♪

♪

When they finally sedate her
the damage is obvious.

♪

Imagine what normal female
genitalia should look like.

♪

Now imagine it mangled,

covered in scar tissue
and sewn mostly shut.

♪

The image in your head
is nowhere near as bad

as her reality.

♪

A team of doctors came
and they too,

along with me
looked at the area and said

their advice would be
that we wait

until she about 15
or 16 years old,

then at least she have
some bulk on her body

and we'll be able to do
the fistula.

Then you'd do a full
reconstruction.

She's got scars there

so those are gonna need
to be excised

and just all put
back together.

At least one, maybe two more
operations to fix this.

And this is this one...

There was another one here

that we sent to
protective custody.

She got better
and we sent her.

This one was too...the fistula
was just too bad.

Wow.

It looks really bad.

No, that looks really good.

That looks really,
really good,

that looks good.

Oh, when we came here
and looked at that,

that was,
it was ugly.

Not until she's 16 years old
before they can fix it,

so now she's nine, you know.

Make sure her mother
knows how

to take care of it for her
so it's healed.

It was 2006.

I brought her to
my brother's place

for her to go to school.

I left her and went to
my husband's place.

I spent 2 weeks
and when I came back

my brother said "Since you tell
Olivia here to go to school,

her stomach's been running!"

After she came out of
the restroom

I saw the stomach run
all in front of her!

What did your husband say?

In the bush we say
"let's go cut cards."

They said, "Oh,
that's leprosy"

or "a snake had been there."

So when she told her husband
they assumed

it was almost
like witchcraft.

So they sent her to
what is called cut cards,

so go to like,
a fortune teller

to see what's wrong.

And they said to her
maybe it's leprosy

or maybe it's a snake,

when there's witchcraft
they think someone

has a snake that could
drag them behind the person

to cause this.

But here at JFK the doctors
told Bendu a different story.

They believe Olivia
was raped

by her cousin, John.

I mean we have gotten kids
that are two years old,

five years old
that have gotten raped and why?

It's such a touchy issue,

I believe that if they had
come sooner

maybe it would have
made a difference,

but because of the secret
that they were trying to keep

that caused all
the extensive damage.

Right now it's still beyond me
why

that we've been
through such, ahhh.

At last, she showed the person

and the person's in jail.

-He's in jail?
-Yeah.

She, she showed who it was
and the guy's in jail now.

Who is that?

It's a family member?

The son of my Pa's
"first woman."

So he's my cousin.

How old is he?

He's about 20 years old.

So why she didn't tell you?

Tell me why she didn't tell you.

She said she was scared.

You all right?

Yeah, that's all.

All right?

That's all I know.

Okay.

You go to school yet?

Not yet.

Soon maybe, huh?

Okay.

When you get out
of here, maybe.

We really need to start school
in this hospital.

We have enough kids here

for us to have a class
every day until 12.

I've been behind them
to do it for awhile.

But I haven't gotten my
wish list yet, right?

You have to buy your own
food here or they give you food?

But you have to
buy your own?

They gotta buy
their own food.

Go and buy her something
to eat today.

But make sure she eats
because you see her?

She's too skinny.

Make sure she eats
every single day.

In the morning they will
bring it for her

and at night they will
bring something for her.

You're gonna eat your food,
eat your food.

Eat your food.

Every day will not be rice.

Alright?

Olivia!

Good morning.

Nice to see her eating.

You have some to offer them?

So why can't you offer
us some?

They could say yes or no,
but you can offer!

There isn't plenty.

She wants it all to herself,
that's okay.

♪

Then we notice a new
little girl in the same ward

suffering from
a severe fever.

At her father's house
at nighttime

they will go to bed.

And her cousin lives,

her father's brother's
son, she said,

she doesn't know his age,

but she says he's bigger
than her

and I asked is he
bigger than me.

Obviously he's
bigger than me.

So she said every time
they would go to bed at night

he would turn the light off
and come in the room with her

and, of course, assault her
and she said her father

said to her...

[speaking foreign language]

No, her uncle said to her
if she tells anybody

what happened he would
kill her.

Uncle?

[speaking foreign language]

Okay.

When she, when she told
her father what happened

he said she was lying.

Her father said
she was lying.

Look at me.

I believe you, ok?

Look at me.
You're not a liar.

I believe you.

And the man who
did this to you

the police will find him,
ok?

Don't be scared.

Ay-yi-yi.

Slap my hand.

She's 12?

Yeah, 12.

Oh, yeah.

Her father hasn't stepped here
for one day

since she's been here.

He went to the police

and told them Clara's mother
is lying.

According to her, they didn't
have sex only 1 time.

More than 10!

Every night, he would tie
her face and go there!

According to her,
when she wanted to cry

he said "I will do it small,
I will take it easy.

I will not do it
hard hard."

But the boy saw her not
telling anyone

so he felt that she liked it.

You see?

The girl's rapist is here.

Another rape victim is here?

No, the person who raped her.

Clara.

He's outside with our nurse.

But why isn't he arrested?

No, he came with the police.

Thank God.

Stay right here, don't go!

Stay right here,
stay right here.

[indistinct conversation]

Go in the room.

Go, go in the room.

Go inside!

[indistinct conversation]

Get in your rooms!

Good morning, Ma'am.

I've come to see a lady,
one of the rape victims here.

The man has been at large.

He'd like to speak to
the little girl once more.

The administration has to
give you a pass

that you must bring
before you can see her.

There's no way I can
speak to her?

No, it's a state matter.

Right now she's, like,
traumatized.

Can I ask a question?

Are you taking him in
the room to talk?

Or just you?

No, no, I'm going...

No, the reason I'm asking
is because

if the little girl accused him
of raping her

and you bring him here,

the trauma for her is like...

They want to protect her

because we don't know
the outcome of the case.

But if you have a daughter
yourself

and someone does that,

you would not want the man in
the same area

as the little girl.

That's what they're saying.

So he shouldn't even
be upstairs.

We're actually sorry.

We didn't know the rules.

So he's not arrested?

He's arrested now!

We took the cuffs
off of him.

I didn't want to bring him
in with cuffs on.

Yeah, no, makes sense,
all right.

Thank you very much.

He is lying!

You're going to jail!

He needs to be jailed!

Clara saw him?

Yeah, Clara saw him.

Somebody rapes my child,
I will castrate him!

Did you see that young man
laughing!

He's not even handcuffed!
He's laughing!

But why would he choose
that little girl?

And it didn't happen
only 1 time!

More than 10 times!

But why didn't she say anything?

That's why her mom's
mad at her!

No, the man said "if you talk
it, I will kill you!"

I don't have secrets!

I don't keep secrets
for myself.

If anything's bothering me, I
got friends I can share it with.

No, she told her Pa,
her pa said, "You lie!"

It's the Pa's brother's son.

It's her cousin.

I see...

He's laughing.

Can you please follow up?

The little girl can go now.
The fever's gone.

We need her to go to
the protective place

until the case begins.

We don't want him here.

We want the Gender Violence
people to come

take over the case,
right?

Where's my "daughter" at?

I didn't even see you there!

The naked orphan!

So what happened to this
little girl's clothes?

We need something
for her to wear.

Every day I can't see her
in makeshift clothes.

She's got clothes here.

A nurse said she must wear
a hospital gown!

[indistinct conversation]

Where's your tuxedo?

See, your friend here
has a tuxedo!

[indistinct conversation]

The gender based violence
department

at the Temple of Justice
is responsible

for seeing and trying
rape cases.

So the reason we asked
to speak to you,

there are a few little girls
that we come across,

two little girls who
have been raped.

One's nine and she was,

the first time she was raped
she was six years old.

Um, now she's nine,
she's at JFK.

The other one we got there,
she recently came to the doctor,

she's 12 years old.

And this guy who raped her,
walk in the room

and he's smiling.

And he's not handcuffed,
he's free, it's just,

like it's one thing if,

it was like a big joke to him.

Can we show her
the pictures of Olivia?

Yeah, I wanna show you
some pictures

of the little girl, Olivia,
so you can see.

You have children?

Yes.

All right, see,
that's her.

You see that?

They had to close
that area.

That's how much damage
this man did

to this little girl.

That's what he did.

She's only nine years old.

That's how much damage
he did.

Can you imagine?

They used to have this thing
called the "heart men".

They would get young girls
and people would kill them

for medicine for position,
money,

for whatever it is,
witchcraft.

So maybe now
they want babies

because they're supposed to
be virgins.

You know what I mean?

They do it for
ritual purpose.

To get money,
to get a job.

The ones are highlighted?

Yes.

Three, four, five,
six, seven,

eight, nine, ten, eleven,
twelve.

Eighty-seven cases
since 2006, right?

That they,
that you know about, right?

Or they're in jail at--

They're in jail right now.

Okay.

They have strong laws
against rape.

But I don't know...

Since the president came down,
there's still a lot of rape!

If Olivia's cousin, John,
had been arrested for rape

we should find him at
Monrovia Central Prison.

That's their food, Jess!

Hello, you all right?

That's where the murderers
are, see?

I saw.

Wow.

[shouting]

Where's the maximum security?

There's all different charges.

Yeah, the rapists...

Where do they go?

MC.

MC, in the front?

MC in the front,
wherever that is.

Those guys that were
convicted of rape.

Bring 2 of them!

What's the age of the woman,
or girls?

Seventeen.

Fifteen or sixteen.

Most of these men
don't have lawyers

or even a trial date.

And as of 2006
President Sirleaf

has ensured that a rape sentence
means life in prison.

It's been 2 years, 1 month,
in prison now.

You've been tried yet or no?

No.

I didn't do it!

-No.
-No.

No.

Do you have a lawyer?

Now? No.

I told the court, if I raped
this 11 year old girl,

see how she's fat
and healthy?

If I had done it,
she can be like this?

She would be sickly!

Back at JFK
there's disturbing news.

He's in jail, or...?

He's not in jail!

But I thought he was
in jail?

He was in jail.

And they released him when?

Sam was a prosecutor
on Olivia's case.

But Bendu's brother
had just posted John's bail.

You're saying they are
threatening the mother, Bendu?

Not to prosecute?

To me, it doesn't make
any sense.

I will see that he goes
back to jail.

I don't understand why
they released him.

Who's to say he will not
do this again

to another family member?

Maybe something else
is going on.

I will find out.
Don't worry.

You said the President
is aware of this?

Somebody told me that,
we are very close.

It's a very sad case,
it really is.

It really, really is.

Do you feel better today?

Feel good?

All right.

And you ate, right?

Yes.

Okay.

What'd you eat?

Rice.

What kind of rice?

Potato greens and rice.

Potato green rice.

It had meat inside?

No.

No meat? You didn't get
any meat?

Why?

Where's Bendu?

She went outside.

Did you drink cold water?

Look at her eyes.

Oh, my God.

The innocence, right?

Smile.

♪

Show me your teeth!

You see, you see?

You see?

The medical mission
is returning to America.

The perpetrators
are roaming free

and Olivia and Clara
are being sent to a safe house.

Bye.

Bye, Olivia.

Bye, Clara.

We return to New York with
more questions than answers.

♪

♪

♪

[children playing]

♪

The Gender Ministry
called us that Olivia

would be discharged
from the hospital

and they want us to take
delivery of her.

Her mother came also
to attend to her.

The mother is
actually suffering.

She's ostracized
because the family thinks

she shouldn't have spoken out
about what happened.

Even friends, because of
the nature

of her daughter's condition,

sometimes when she cooks food
they do not want to eat.

In fact, she told me plainly
that

she could not even think
of using her hands to eat.

Because for us, traditionally,
we eat with our hands.

She said she's been
eating with a spoon

for a very long time because
she feels embarrassed.

She plays with her,
so you can see that.

The Gender Ministry said the
President heard about the case.

So they came for her.

And since then, we have not
heard what happened to her.

OSIWA Safe House
is full of young girls,

all victims
of sexual abuse.

I'm 10 years old.

I went to visit my uncle
one day.

But there was an old man
standing at the fence.

I asked for my uncle.

He said "Your uncle is
at my house."

"Let's go to my house.
Your uncle is there."

But I didn't see my uncle.
I said, "Where's my uncle?"

He said "You just take
your clothes off!"

I said "No!"

He tied me up every day.

He'd leave for work
and lock me inside.

He said if I shouted,
he would chop me.

At the clinic they said he
almost spoiled my womb.

Some of them threaten
the children so much

"If you say it,
I will kill you."

"I'll kill your mother,
I'll kill your father."

and it remains
in the child's mind.

They will never even say
the correct name.

♪

Lunch may be ready,
but one girl is sitting alone.

[humming]

It's Clara.

Girls aren't usually
kept at safe houses this long.

It can only mean one thing.

Why your mother don't want
you to live with her?

She says she's got child.

She's got other children?

We got Clara from JFK.

She and Olivia
were best friends.

But Clara,
the parents do not even call.

We left our numbers and told
the aunt she should call us.

We have Clara and would
like to talk to her.

She wants to go
and see her mother,

but she knows if she goes, her
mother is not going to keep her.

It's something she has
already accepted.

That "I can be here."

We are thinking about sending
Clara to school

while she is here,

because she has to
go to school.

So Clara, tell us, when you
get big what do you want to be?

What do you want to be?

I want to be in a safe home,
just like this.

No, I said, when you get big,
what do you want to be?

What kind of work do you
want to do?

I want to be doing
safe home work.

Safe home work.

Safe home
work.

♪

♪

[singing]

♪

♪

Having heard about
Olivia's case

President Sirleaf decided
to intervene.

They told about six months
or so down the line

that the fistula
should be closed.

So they attempted
to close it again

against my advice
and the team's advice

and after they closed it,
it broke down again.

While she was in the safe home,

the issue was brought
to the President.

She said, "We need to make
some arrangements."

One evening we heard, "oh, no
this girl has been taken

to the hospital.

The UNFPA has brought in
an expert to do that surgery."

So I expected after that
surgery, she'd be ok.

The Ministry of Gender played
a very important

key role.

They played a very key role
in insuring that uh,

she got what she needed
because uh,

you would agree that
you cannot imagine

a nine year old girl

who was
denied uh,

the playground,
she just can watch

and she cannot play
because of that bag

that she has to carry around
with her all the time.

I think it's
a fantastic example

of coordination.

How coordination worked well,

coordination and partnership
between the UN,

the government
and the local agency.

They did the surgery
but it didn't hold.

It was put on TV that
they did the surgery.

The surgery didn't
do anything.

Everything's spoiled
all over again.

She feels bad!

And so now she had
two operations,

she still have the fistula
and last of the tissues

have been destroyed,

and she still had
the colostomy.

I still go along with
the initial evaluation

that we wait for her
to become mature

before we attempt
another surgery on her.

Because Bendu spoke out
about the rape

their tribe disowned them.

Even Olivia's own father
has left.

Despite the fact that
Bendu is now

eight and a half months
pregnant.

Her father isn't around.

He has another girlfriend now.

He doesn't want
to know anything.

He's not interested in us.

When we brought her to
the hospital

he brought small small thing
for us.

He gave us 300LRD
and some clothes.

Since then, I haven't
laid eyes on him!

With nowhere to live
Dr. Jallah

lets Olivia and Bendu
stay at JFK for free.

Something that can
cost her job

if the administration
finds out.

I'm finished!

You're finished?

Let me see what
your hair looks like?

Look.

There you go.

It's fine! It's fine!

For Liberians,
we believe in money.

Once I am not from
a wealthy background

attached to some
big person in government,

honestly, no one's gonna
look after my case.

One day they will be
thrown out of that hospital.

Then where do they go?

That is the problem.

♪

Bendu's conflict
is the same one

that Liberians have been
facing for centuries.

There's two Liberias:

Monrovia and the bush.

The two worlds almost
never see eye to eye.

In bush society women
are forced to marry

at a very young age.

You will see it
for yourself.

Ask "Hello, what's your name?
How old are you?"

"I am 14...13..."

President Sirleaf
made it illegal to marry

under the age of 18.

But the law had
little impact out here

among the tribes.

Starting from 15 yrs down,
all of them are underage.

So you can't love to that one!

Our people are not
too open to the law.

They don't know the law,
truly.

So people respect the law?

Yeah, yeah, they respect
the law!

While they guy was speaking,
the older guy pinched him!

What do you think?

You think what the men say
is true?

Yeah?

Our grandfathers used to
force our daughters!

But these days
it's not happening.

I'm 28 years old.

My girlfriend is 15
or 16 years old.

No, we don't have sex.

How do you know
she's your girlfriend?

We do "small small thing".

That's what she's talking about!

I see.

We do "small small thing."

That's my new favorite phrase,
I think,

"small small thing."

Yeah, "small small thing."

"Small small thing"
is a big word!

♪

There really is,
in this community,

no real issue of rape.

No, they have no regard.
Don't even care about it.

It was worse, in fact,
before the war.

After the war,
it continues.

But oftentimes the girls
and the guys

don't consider it
to be rape.

Yes...no...

They don't consider it
to be rape.

Sometimes if we consider
it to be rape,

the case comes to
the police station,

we do the preliminary
investigation,

and if there's a need,
we follow you to the court.

Okay.

But not all the time
we send the case to court

because we don't have a vehicle
to go and do follow up

and come back.

So you guys don't have
a vehicle in this city?

We don't have no vehicle.

Do you have resources
to collect evidence?

Resources to collect
evidence like?

Most Liberians
ignore the police completely.

They still turn to
the tribal chiefs, the Zoe,

to resolve conflicts.

There is one "Zoe" that will
determine that

this person was killed,

this person was killed by
another family,

and they poisoned
the person!

And then you are responsible!

Even if you didn't do it?

Even if you didn't do it!

Once the Zoe says you did it,
you did it!

When that Zoe comes and says
"Joel, you killed the woman!"

The whole population might
kill me, beat me to death,

or put me out of the town.

♪

Second only to the power
of the Zoe

is the power of
the traditional medicine man.

So how long have you been
in this field?

Almost 17 years now.

Seventeen years.

Yes.

I can treat any kind
of sickness.

Except for crazy people.

If you're crazy,
I can't treat you.

This one is for a tooth ache.

Okay.

This is for
a witchcraft problem.

Okay.

This medicine,
God reveals it to you?

Yes. Some of them.

When I see some sickness,
if I need the medicine,

it can come to me
in my dreams.

Maybe the people in the town,

most of them now go to
the hospital?

Most of them move from the
hospital, and come here, Sir.

Oh, really?

Yes.

Yes.

See this ring?

Witchcraft can't harm you.

Even a counter spell
can't harm you.

Furthermore, say you want to go
somewhere in car,

if the car will make accident,
this will burn you as a sign.

It can burn you.

So how much for it?

This is 250 LRD.

This one is a love ring.

For love.

To find love?

-No.
-No.

If you're wearing it,
you get whoever you want!

I think I need that one.

Gonna give me
an interview, Olivia?

Hm?

You gonna give me
an interview?

What's your age.

Ten years!

Yeah? Where do you live?

In Liberia?

Yeah.

Does Olivia know
what happened to her?

Yes!

One time she did something
bad and I was angry!

She said "Is that why you had
the family curse me?"

I said "What?"
I felt bad that day!

I said "Is that your plan?

When you're big
you'll tell your friends

"My Ma took me to her village so
they could put a curse on me!"

She said "yeah!"

Some day she'll get a feeling
someone did something to her.

But that day she said "Those
people put a curse one me.

I'm crippled, I can't
even go to school!"

I would have never
done that to her.

When you get big
what are you gonna be?

I wanna be a doctor.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Yeah?

Yeah.

You said yeah?

I said yeah.

I wanna be a doctor
in America.

I wanna be a doctor of woman!

Do you think it will be
difficult for Olivia

to meet a man and get married
now that she has

all these injuries?

How do men, Liberian men,
feel about women

who can't have children,
in general?

Honestly, I tell you, some men
don't feel good about it.

Because they think the purpose

of men and women mating
is to have children!

So if she wont' have children

it's going to give her
a serious problem.

It's going to be a very
serious problem for her.

If Olivia stays with you,
do you think she will find a man

that will accept her as she is?

With that colostomy?

And even she knows.

Like when she's taking a bath,

she doesn't want girls to see
it.

So what about men?
She won't do it.

Honestly! You know?

No man wants to keep
a woman like that,

who's just gonna mess up
his place all the time!

She's gonna have serious ,
problem I tell you that.

So, she's kinda messed up
for life.

♪

She can't work,
she can't go to school.

Useless. She's just useless.

She's of no use.

♪

A drive through Monrovia
shows us

where many useless children
end up.

On the streets.

♪

♪

The following morning we head
deep into the slums of Monrovia.

♪

Girls of all ages
fill the streets.

Most with children
and selling their only asset.

It's 3 or 4 men in a night,
just because I am hungry.

Some of them refuse
to pay me!

Sometimes they steal
money from me!

♪

This is my place.

This is where you live?

Yeah.

How much does she pay
for this room?

300 LRD [$4] every month.

What's the lowest you charge?

10 or 15 LRD [$0.15]

That is for an hour?

Yeah.

As for today,

if I even can get someone
to sustain me

then I will leave the streets

and I will ask the world
to forgive me

for what I have been doing.

♪

City life starts to take
a toll on Olivia and Bendu.

Morning.

How are you?

Bendu calls and begs
to go back to their village.

She has run out of food
in the hospital

and has no money
to buy more.

Tomorrow?

Louis arrives the next morning
and off we go.

♪

♪

He assures us the car
can make

what is supposedly
an hour long trip.

The roads have been
paved, after all.

No problem.

♪

An hour later the city
gives way to jungle.

They want help pushing?

The plan now is to drive
to the nearest town

and walk the rest
of the way.

We'll stop
and then walking to finish.

It probably makes
the most sense.

She is afraid you may not
be able to walk.

Bendu, I walk every day.

Two hours later
we are still walking.

♪

We got plantains, banana,

we can also get fever leaf.

We can cut potato greens
and carry it.

During pepper season,
we can pick peppers.

Bitter ball and eggplant.
We can carry it.

In bags?

Sure! Put them in bags.

Put them on our backs.

If we only take half that,
how much you sell it for?

♪

Finally, after almost
four hours, we arrive.

♪

♪

Word spreads
of the arrival of strangers.

And Bendu shows where
Olivia was hidden away.

This is your house?

Yes.

This roof, I did it myself.

I braided it, I put down
the mud.

That's the building.

For such a long time,

I asked her "Something
pains you

and you were scared
to tell me?"

I just shut my mouth
and went to bed.

This is where elders meet
to resolve conflicts.

And this is
the village midwife,

the woman expecting to
deliver Bendu's baby.

In the bush,
when somebody's in pain,

she can help.

If you see any baby's
mother here,

she's the one that did
all the people.

So you do it free of charge?

Sure, they are my people!

Hello!

Hello.

That's my Pa there, coming.

We meet Bendu's father,
the tribal chief.

Nice to meet you.

Bendu has a son here,
Olivia's brother.

She heads into the jungle
to collect her vegetables

and we get her family's version
of what happened to Olivia.

[speaking foreign language]

He says maybe you're here
because

you want to hear the true,
actual story.

That's what he's
going to tell you.

Today, the crime

I mean sickness,
that's on that little girl,

we ever went to court for it.

It became a hatredness!

That girl,
when she was small,

she went to school, and when
she sat on the bench

she'd get up and the poo
would be on it!

The teacher said, "Don't be
coming to the school yard!"

"There's an infection there!"

So her mother took her
to a clinic.

When the woman
examined the little girl,

she said, "Oh,
this could be rape!"

then they started asking
the little girl,

but she did not want
to talk.

Then the doctor

took scissors and
pointed them at the girl!

"If you don't talk, I will
stab you with the scissors!"

So the girl said
the boy's name.

They started calling out
people's names.

"Was it John?
Was it Peter?"

She said, "Yeah, it's John."

So that's how
they accused John?

That's how the girl said
it was John.

That John raped her.

They gave that money
to the lawyer

and they came
to arrest John.

It was the police who
came to arrest him?

Yes, but they were undercover.

It was $500! To the court!

For the lawyer for
the first trial.

For us to go through it,
$500!

John had one lawyer.

[speaking foreign language]

He said "You say the boy
raped the little girl?"

"You all bring proof."

We've been waiting for that
proof since last October!

He says he won't hear
the case again.

There's no proof
in the case!

So, John.
Where was he all this time?

At Christmas,
since there was no proof,

they gave him a break
until after the season.

They released him
on family bond.

But all this time, since
Olivia was in the hospital,

since the lawyer could not bring
proof to prosecute John,

did any of you go to the
hospital

to see Olivia or talk
to the doctors?

The Papa said he won't lie, he
didn't go through that process.

The boy they accused is here?

John?

He's been going to court?

Or just forgot about the case
too?

John hasn't forgotten
about the case!

John's here!

He's living here,
but he's not here now.

His Ma or Pa here?

I'm his father.

I'm his brother.

Your son was accused
by your own sister?

It brings family problem.

We understand what
you're talking about.

It's true! But all there is,
is hatred!

I'm not a doctor, so
I can't tell you she was raped.

On a serious note, I can't tell
you she was being tampered with.

No. It's only the doctor that
can tell you she was raped.

And maybe from the rape,
she developed whatever problem.

You understand?

Rape cases, they aren't
a small crime!

If someone says, "Oh,
John Brown, you've raped!"

My brother, you'll want
to kill yourself straight!

That's true!

I hold Bendu responsible for
hiding this thing

when it started!

I would arrest her.

Because when it started,
it was the time

she should have taken this girl
to the hospital.

You have to see how to best
settle this thing.

Because you're Bendu's
older brother.

Are you willing to accept her?

Clear in your heart,
you know?

I don't have nothing
against Bendu.

She's my sister,
I can't throw her away!

Maybe someday she can even pay
back the money to me.

If she comes back here,
we will still accept her.

Are you willing to
accept Bendu?

What did Bendu do?

To be frank, you know,
we are African!

We are African.

If she decides to come back,

he'll call every one
of you together

and you can live
as one family.

You have to see how to get
this out of the court

and you bring it
right home.

Call the other elders
and settle the case.

The day Olivia grows up

and decides to take up
her case

this will start
all over again.

The case will start
all over again.

♪

Bendu's father decides that
if she's going to keep Olivia

over the tribe,

she must take her son back
to Monrovia.

♪

♪

[indistinct conversation]

♪

♪

Time to give Bendu's son
his first taste of life

outside his tiny village.

♪

I called and told the uncle

Olivia had this problem

and whenever
she went to school

and it like,
smelled bad.

It's like, toilet came out
of her private parts.

Olivia was not
telling anybody

who did this to her.

And the doctor threatened her
with the scissors.

"If you don't tell me,
I will kill you."

It was how she told
the doctor it was John

who did this to her.

And from there the police
came

and they arrested John.

And they took John
and they charged John with rape.

They sent him to prison.

But then the family
took it

to be something
traditional.

Because they never wanted
John to go to jail.

Simply, they knew
what was happening

so they wanted to frame
the whole thing.

They knew what was
going on.

The midwifery,

the chief,

the father of Bendu,

and even the other people knew
exactly what was going on.

So you think they know
she was raped, they just--

They know she was raped.

♪ [singing in
foreign language] ♪

You're a good singer!

See, these are my children.

They're not doing anything
in the hospital.

We got all these little kids
we could be teaching.

I've been trying to get money
to at least get a tutor

to lecture them
while they're here.

At least teach them how to read,
to write,

all those kinds of things.

But I haven't been
successful as of now.

But I'm still trying!

♪ E, F, G, H

♪ I, J, K, L

♪ M, N, O, P

♪ Q, R, S, T, U, V

♪ W, X, Y, Z

Bendu is nine months
pregnant now.

Her plan is to return
to the bush to have her baby.

Dr. Jallah won't let her go
without at least

having an ultrasound:

something she's never heard of.

♪

In a twist of fate,
Bendu's son is breech

and the umbilical cord is
around the baby's neck.

♪

If she goes to deliver
in the village,

the traditional birth
attendant does not know

that she is breech or the cord
is around the neck.

After she been in labor
for three, four days

and she cannot deliver
what's gonna happen to her?

They will push her belly,
push on her

trying to force that baby
that coming with the butt

out of the vagina.

Either the baby
is going to die

because of prolonged
labor,

she could also develop
a fistula.

She could die.

He must be delivered
through a C-section.

Bendu has never
had surgery before

and she knows what
the letters "JFK" stand for

around here.

She is petrified.

But if she and her baby
are to survive,

she has no choice.

♪

Bendu knows she can
remain at JFK

until she has
her C-section.

But then it will be time
for her to go.

Does she stay in Monrovia
with Olivia

or return to her family
alone?

You think you can
go back?

Did you see my big brother?

He was the first born.

I don't have a problem
with him!

He's the one,
when it started,

that said we are
no longer family.

He's not my brother.

I'm not his sister.

He said he'd let everything go.

He's not holding anything
against you anymore.

Even his wife.

But if I return, I know where
it's safe to drink their water.

But Olivia won't know.

Even if we resolve
our problems.

I'll still have to watch
my back.

I know safe ways
to eat and drink.

If they cook,
I'll look in their eyes.

I might just say I'm full.

I can cook my own food!

♪

♪

Liberia's really two places.

It's Monrovia
and the bush.

There are worse things going on
in Monrovia than the bushes.

Everybody's mind is focused
on the central town

because they feel it's where
all the things are, you know?

When you are in Monrovia,
you are well.

People look at you like

"Where are you from?"

"I live in Monrovia."

They feel you are the best.

You know?

But it's not as people think.

♪

[simultaneous,
confused conversation]

How long have you been
on the streets?

I started when I was 14.

How old are you?

Right now I'm 20.

I was a small girl
when the war came.

I fought on my own.
I have no family.

Do you have children?

I had one,
but it passed away.

I got my child sitting
right over there.

We came here together because
we have no one to help us.

Every night it's 4, 5, 6 men,
for small small money!

Does your daughter
do the same thing?

No, no, no, no, no.

Do you consider each other
family?

You can see a bullet.
It's in me now.

Since the war ended,
nobody can take it out.

A bullet wound,
another bullet wound.

Were you a little boy?

Oh, a very little boy!
A small small.

I said, my name is Patience.

What brought me on
the street here

is that I don't have
a ma and pa,

my mother died,
my father died.

During the war.

I sleep with many men
to get money.

40 cents, 50 cents,
70 cents...

You have children?

No, I don't have child,
but I'm...

You are pregnant?

Hello?

You are pregnant?

Who is the father?

It doesn't have a father.

So you are pregnant and still
go out on the streets?

Yes.

♪

Patience and Sam show us
how desperate life can be

in the city.

♪

We lived in here.

When they came to bury,
we'd bust up the graves.

Take the casket out.

Remove the body,
put it on the side.

Go and sell the casket
for money.

Just to survive.

♪

Samuel, do you have children?

Actually, I had one child.

But because of...

I'm not gonna lie.

Because I don't work,
I wasn't doing nothing,

the child passed away.

Patience has decided to have
an illegal abortion.

Where do you do it?

Where do you get
the abortion?

They got country medicine.

If you could be anything,
Patience, what would you be?

I can sing. Gospel.

If I had money to buy
a lapa [dress]

I'd go to church and sing.

♪ [singing
in foreign language] ♪

♪

♪

We come against every fear,
every complication

in the name of Jesus.

We accept your daughter,
Lu'Soka,

and we soak her in your blood.

Take your prayer, Oka, that your
name will be praised

in Jesus' name.

Don't be afraid.

God will be with you.

God is gonna strengthen you.

God himself is gonna do
that surgery.

Yeah?

Soon, soon, soon, you're gonna
be out of it.

Let's go.

♪

♪

[excited chattering]

♪

♪

[baby crying]

There's no way
she could have...

What would have happened,
they would have been...?

It would have been
obstructed labor for a while.

Like, she would have been
stuck out in the bush

like all these other
women, right?

Right.

Because the way
I would lay her, like that,

you're gonna be in labor
contracting, fully dilated,

but he can't come
because it was laying down.

In fact he achieved from breech
the foot was here,

the arm was here and the baby
would lean sideways.

Oh, wow.

Yeah, that's why it was
so difficult to get out.

Yeah, is that how
the women end up--

And the wrong way around
and they also do.

That's how they end up
with fistulas and things, right?

Yes.

That's how they end up
losing the baby, fistula,

and complications
for the mother.

♪

♪

Smile now, just smile!

How you doing?

You okay?

She was just afraid!

♪

There is a final story here
that rarely gets told:

Why so much rape
is happening in the first place.

In your opinion why do you
think so many men

use women or chil-,
not even women, children?

It's kinda pathetic,
you know?

Because those guys
that held arms,

at a certain point they
were the commanders.

They had the power
to call any girl.

"Hey you, you're sleeping
with me tonight!"

And the gun is at their head,

nothing you can do,
you have to give in.

But the gun isn't in their hands
any longer, you know?

They are like, ordinary.

And they want to get
some satisfaction.

And no one thinks they are
someone important in society.

"What am I doing with you?
You're an old rebel."

Nobody wants to get
close to them.

So at times they get
a flashback

they just get angry

and go and do evil.

When the war started in Liberia,
how old were you?

I'm guessing 15 years.

-Fifteen years?
-Yeah.

What position
you were holding?

Commanding General.

Commanding General?

When you saw a woman you liked,
what would you do?

The General would command them.

"Lay down with that woman
there!"

"Lay down with your wife
there now!"

So automatically the person
becomes his wife.

Yeah.

You were a big man,
a Commanding General

and all the people
you were controlling,

they're far from you now.

Sometimes you feel like
controlling people like that?

Yes, in the night sometimes

I can get that feeling.

Temper, I have a temper.

A very bad temper?

Yes.

Do you ever take it out
on your wife?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah?

Sometimes I can
blast at her.

I say, "No, today my heart's
not good."

She can be scared of me.

I tell her, "No,
don't be scared of me."

It keeps happening when
I lay down at night.

The time we were fighting war

it can come to my eyes.

While I am sleeping.

Sometimes he dreams
he is still boss.

Yeah?

You feel you're still there,
inside the war?

Sometimes I can jump
out of bed.

My wife can ask me why
but I say no.

You can't tell her?

No, I can't tell her.

Are you afraid
of what she'll think?

Yeah.

I can't tell her
about my past.

I've never had a baby
or a kid, you know?

But I always said if
it crosses my path,

definitely.

I would take a knife.

I would take a knife and
cut off that man's private parts

that he used
to penetrate that child.

Because it's so
demonic, you know?

Most, it's not,
it's not a normal thing.

It's not normal,
it's not ordinary, like,

sexual desire,
no, it's not.

It's so demonic.

So what are some of the things
that happened to you

during the war?

Oh, it was plenty!

During the wartime
we were on our own.

In 1990, we didn't move
from the village.

We were just there
in the bush.

They used to go and
reach some areas,

the man would approach you

and have you for nothing!

Then go.

God just blessed some of us.

That we didn't get
sickness from them.

Because you have no power.

The person has a gun,
so what can you do?

So you experienced rape, too?

Yeah.

Even if you ran,
they would catch you.

A man would approach you

they would have sex
with you freely.

At daybreak, they'd leave.

We had to go through it a lot.

So when I pray, I thank God

because I'm alive.

♪

♪

Now, I decided not to go back.

♪

It's better for me to stay here.

I'll ask God for me
to make my own living.

♪

Working in the house,
cooking...

...washing clothes,
I can do that.

I'll start
a little business.

♪

I will make it.

♪

Hundreds of accused rapists
have been released

before standing trial because
of a backlog in cases.

We don't know who's really
innocent or guilty

of those who are in pre trial
detention status,

so we just let everyone out
because they been there

longer than the time
that they should be there

before they go to court.

We also run the risk
of jeopardizing

the safety of
the community.

So we are working on
this balancing.

She says, "I just want
my daughter well.

It will be a while, though.

The doctor says because of
the extent of the tear

and because the tissue
is not fully developed

she likely can't have surgery
until she's 16."

♪

[speaking foreign language]

I couldn't handle
city living.

So I returned to the bush.

Does your family still believe
the rape was a lie,

that happened to Olivia?

They insist it's not rape!

Because Olivia's father
won't testify.

I'm just a woman.
It's not enough.

You need a man's voice
to stand strong.

I'm wondering if you think
it was rape.

If you think so.

If I had been there,
then I would know.

But I wasn't there.

Has your family accepted you?

Yeah, I'm not in their hearts

but, we talk and lecture.

But I'm not in their hearts.

We don't live in
the same yard.

They live away from me.

Sometimes I visit them.

They invite me to eat,
and if it's ok, I eat some.

But if it's not ok
I just tell them I'm full.

People tell me
the Bible says

you can forgive
but not forget.

Before you had to be
worried about Olivia.

Is life more easy for you?

She and I aren't
together now

but I taught her how to
take care of herself.

At the time she was sick,
it was not easy.

24 hours washing clothes!

I washed clothes,
I got tired.

But now

I thank God, small small.

Now things are looking better.

♪

♪

So right now
she's in school,

she's trying to learn
even though she's 12

and in the first grade,
but, I mean,

all these years she never
went to school

so now we're trying
to encourage her

to go to school.

She seem to be
adapting well.

So are you making
100s now?

Or just playing around?

I will.

I haven't seen
that report card yet!

The fistula
is not fixed yet

because it's
a very complex fistula

with multiple damage.

But right now we only
reversed the colostomy.

We try our best to
take away

that bad time in her life,
all of her life,

and try to
make things better.

And your favorite soup,
you cooked today.

You helped to cook today.

You can cook, Olivia?

Yes.

What you can cook?

Any soup.

I know she has
a bright future

because at least
when she's in school

she's picking up well.

So we can continue
encouraging her

and supporting her to go
and get an education.

I think she will be
a model child

and be able to speak up
for other rape victims.

Does she seem like
a daughter to you?

Yes.

I mean, I have a daughter
myself,

my daughter is older,
but, you know,

right now I, I have
a lot of other little kids

that were sick
in the hospital

that I haven't adopted, but at
least I take care of them also.

So all of these kids
are my kids

and I hope the best
for their lives.

[children playing]

♪

♪

♪

♪

Liberian women endured
the injustices

through the years
of our civil war...

I don't think this is
the end of Olivia's case

and it should not
be the end.

I think it's time
for all of us,

if we are to honor
not just her memory,

but the memory of every
little girl that has died

as a result of rape
in Liberia and other countries,

to seek justice.

Because the perpetrator
is still free.

And until we do that,

I think they will continue to
slap us in our faces

while we talk about
women's rights.

What I would like to see
is some starting

a public conversation
about rape and abuse.

Let us not by shy about it.

I think that's
the first step, open dialogue.

Really putting it out there
that we have these problems.

It's here,
it exists every day.

There's no neat way
to wrong,

and there's no way
that we can combat rape

by trying to keep
the conversation neat.

Rape is dirty,
rape is nasty

and we have to bring
that nasty conversation

into open spaces.

Take it to churches,
mosques, schools,

government buildings,

bring men into
the conversation.

It took a case in India,

a brutal case in South Africa
a few days ago,

the Olivia case
and many more

for people to step up
to see it.

So I think it's time
for everyone,

whether you find yourself in
the north, south, east or west

it's time to join hands
and see rape

not just as a
women's issue,

but as an issue that is
affecting society

as one of the diseases
that our societies have

that we need
to get rid of.

♪

♪

The women of Liberia,

the women of Africa,

and the women of the world.

♪