EACH OF USspent the entire day listening to comrades being sexually abused, before and after our tum came'. This was how women in Maghaberry Prison described last month's brutal mass stripsearch women Prisoners of War is For nearly ten the North of Ireland havebeen subacted to strip-searching. But this latest attack is un*OWs who resisted this mas: simp-search have now been charged with assault.
In a statement released after the women the assaults 'ten hours of sexual, physical and psychological torture ds gangs of screws in riot gear, and armed with batons and shields, entered their cells.
Women's Day
It would be horrific at any time, but the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) chose March 2for International Women's way to step up treat attempts at trying to force the women into submissior The women were told that a searen of the sool was to take place, and each would be subjected to a strip-search.
Women described how the screws dragged cach POW down, pushing her face to the floor, and forcibly removing her clothes until she was total ly naked.
All 21 women who resisted sexual assault sustained injuries. One was temporariv transferred to an outside nos pital and others are awaiting tests to determine the exAs the statement explains though, it is not just the physical aspect of the attacks that women have to bear, but also the pyschological scars that are left Women now 'havetospend veirs in the very cells where they were violated with such vigorous enthusiasm.
Strip-searching was introthe time of the hunger strikes. It has been conclusively shown to have no security value. Only in the women's soot are prisoners exercia to strip totally naked when being ***amdar event