The Manitoba Colony: A Bolivian Exodus

Between 2005 and 2009, the Manitoba Colony in Bolivia was rocked by a series of horrific crimes. Over 100 women and girls, including small children, were raped and sexually assaulted by a group of men from the colony. The men sedated their victims with an animal anaesthetic, and the attacks went on for several years before the perpetrators were caught and convicted. The events inspired the book and film 'Women Talking'.

The Manitoba Colony's response to the rapes

The men were only brought to justice due to the intervention of the Bolivian police. The colony's leaders had considered locking the accused in shipping containers for years but eventually called in the police. The prosecutor, Fredy Perez, described how difficult it was to get the women to testify in court: "Many times the women said, 'No we don't want to,' and they'd start to cry. And I would say to them, 'But if you don't co-operate, I won't have any witnesses. So the men will be acquitted, and they'll return to the colony.' That would make the women and girls cry even more."

In the aftermath of the trial, the women were not offered therapy or counselling. The Bishop of Manitoba rejected help on the victims' behalf, saying, "Why would they need counselling if they weren't even awake when it happened?" There has also been no colony-wide discussion about the events, and a code of silence has descended.

Some have criticised the response of the Mennonite community more broadly. Progressive groups in Canada and the US offered to send Low German counsellors to Manitoba, but these offers were rejected by the Old Colonist leadership. This was, in part, because they saw the offer of psychological support as a veiled attempt to encourage the abandonment of their old ways.

There are also concerns that sexual abuse is ongoing in the colony. One woman told a journalist from Vice, "You know that it's still happening, right? [...] The rapes with the spray—they are still going on."

The rapists' trial and conviction

In 2011, eight men from the Manitoba Colony went on trial for the rape and sexual assault of over 100 women and girls in the community. The trial began in August, and seven of the men were sentenced to 25 years in prison for rape. The other man was sentenced to 12 years for supplying the drug used to sedate the victims. This man has since been conditionally released.

The trial revealed the horrific extent of the crimes, which took place between 2005 and 2009. Over 130 women and girls, aged between three and 65, were repeatedly anaesthetised with a sedative spray meant for animals and raped in their homes. The victims included a pregnant woman, who gave birth prematurely due to the attack, and a woman with an intellectual disability.

The rapists admitted to hiding outside bedroom windows at night, spraying the drug through the screens to drug entire families, and then crawling inside. The substance used in the attacks, which comes from tropical plants, is well-known in Latin America and is sometimes used by Mennonite farmers to anaesthetise bulls before castration.

The trial shed light on the ultraconservative ideologies of the Mennonite community, which in part fuelled the silence of the victims. The women and girls were discouraged from speaking out and were told that their experiences were the work of the devil or demons. They were also blamed for the crimes, with suggestions of "wild female imagination" at play.

The trial was a difficult and emotional process for the victims, who faced pressure from the community to forgive their attackers and were threatened with shunning if they did not comply. Despite these challenges, the women showed courage in confronting their abusers and providing powerful testimony that led to the convictions.

The aftermath for the victims

The aftermath of the rapes in the Manitoba Colony in Bolivia was devastating for the victims. Many of the women and girls who were attacked—some as young as three years old—were left with physical reminders of the assaults, such as bruising, bleeding, and rope burns, in addition to the psychological trauma they endured. The victims also faced a lack of support and access to counselling or therapy due to the conservative and insular nature of the community.

The conservative and religious nature of the Manitoba Colony presented unique challenges for the victims in the aftermath of the rapes. Initially, there was a culture of secrecy and modesty that prevented victims from speaking out and reporting the crimes. The victims' families and the wider community struggled to come to terms with the attacks, with some blaming "wild female imagination" or supernatural forces. The religious leaders' response was also lacking; the Bishop of Manitoba rejected offers of psychological support, infamously asking, "Why would they need counselling if they weren't even awake when it happened?".

The language barrier further isolated the victims and hindered their ability to seek help or justice. Most of the women and girls in the colony spoke only Low German, a dialect of their ancestors, and did not know Bolivian Spanish. This made it difficult for them to communicate with the outside world, including the authorities and potential therapists.

The lack of education, particularly sexual education, in the colony also contributed to the aftermath for the victims. The conservative community's rules and beliefs, including the restriction of women's roles to domestic duties, further complicated the process of healing and recovery.

In the years following the initial attacks, there was little to no attempt by the colony to address the crimes or promote healing. Instead, a code of silence descended, with residents preferring to forget and move on rather than confront the trauma and its underlying causes. The lack of a police force or external authority within the colony also meant that there was no proactive investigation or prevention of future crimes.

The refusal of counselling services and the lack of support from the colony's leaders left the victims to cope with the trauma on their own. Some found solace in their faith, forgiving their attackers as dictated by their religious beliefs. Others turned to their female relatives and friends for comfort and support, especially as they tried to adjust back to regular life in the wake of the trial.

The long-term impact of the rapes on the victims cannot be overstated. Many of the women and girls were left with deep psychological scars, and the absence of professional therapy or counselling services likely exacerbated their suffering. The ongoing threats and lobbying for the release of the perpetrators by the colony's leaders also created a climate of fear and tension, making it difficult for the victims to feel safe or achieve a sense of closure.

The aftermath of the rapes in the Manitoba Colony had far-reaching consequences for the victims, who were denied justice, support, and healing. The conservative and insular nature of the community, coupled with the language barrier and lack of education, created unique challenges that hindered their recovery and exacerbated their trauma. The victims were left to navigate the aftermath with limited resources and support, often relying on their faith and each other for comfort and strength.

The Mennonite community's beliefs and practices

The Mennonite community is a group of Anabaptist Christians that formed during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. They are named after a Dutch priest, Menno Simons, who organised and consolidated the work of moderate Anabaptist leaders. Simons was excommunicated from the Catholic Church when he began to question its teachings, and Anabaptists were persecuted for their beliefs.

Mennonites are pacifists and believe in adult-only baptism. They are strong proponents of peace and non-violence, and they reject the use of force. They are also distinguished by their plain dress and rejection of modern technology. They believe that hard work will open the gates of heaven, and they live a simple life.

There are several different groups of Mennonites, from the ultraconservative to the moderate and progressive. The ultraconservative groups, such as the Old Order Mennonites, live a lifestyle similar to the Old Order Amish, with a rejection of modern conveniences and technology. They also practice a strict dress code. The Conservative Mennonites are similar but accept some modern technology. The Moderate Mennonites, such as the Mennonite Brethren and the Mennonite Church, differ very little from Protestant congregations. They have no special dress code and no restrictions on technology.

Mennonites are found in many countries, but they are most heavily concentrated in the United States and Canada.

The media's portrayal of the events

The Initial Reports

When the rapes first came to light, the media reported on the shocking nature of the crimes and the fact that they had gone unaddressed for so long. Headlines such as "The Ghost Rapes of Bolivia" and "The rapes haunting a community that shuns the 21st Century" captured the attention of readers worldwide. The media highlighted the fact that the crimes had been occurring since 2005 and that it was only in 2009 that the perpetrators were caught and brought to justice.

The Trial

The trial of the accused men in 2011 was closely followed by the media. The details of the crimes, including the use of animal anesthetic to sedate the victims, were revealed in court documents and reported on by the media. The trial resulted in the conviction of eight men, with seven being sentenced to 25 years in prison for rape and an additional man being sentenced to 12 years for supplying the drug used in the attacks.

The Impact on the Community

The media also focused on the impact of the crimes on the victims and the wider community. It was reported that the victims were not offered therapy or counseling and that there was a lack of psychological support within the community. The media highlighted the cultural and linguistic barriers that prevented the victims from effectively documenting the attacks and seeking help. Additionally, the media reported on the efforts of some community members to deny the crimes and protect the perpetrators, which created tension and division within the colony.

The Long-Term Effects

In the years following the trial, the media continued to report on the long-term effects of the crimes on the community. It was revealed that there was evidence of ongoing sexual abuse, including incest, within the colony. The media also reported on the efforts of some community members to leave the colony due to dissatisfaction with the leadership's handling of the situation. The media portrayed the colony as a place where women's roles were restricted and their voices were often silenced, contributing to a culture that enabled abuse.

The Portrayal in Popular Culture

The events in the Manitoba Colony have also been portrayed in popular culture, with the novel "Women Talking" by Miriam Toews providing a fictional account of the events. The novel was adapted into a film in 2022, bringing further attention to the story.

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