Random Things That Bolivian Mennonite Men Used Cow Tranquilizers To Assault Women (12 items)

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  (#8) Women Who Reported Their Assault Were Forced To Forgive Their Attacker

  Even with many of the rapists in prison, there seems to be little justice for those who suffered through the attacks, and continue to do so. The Mennonite church requires forgiveness, as they believe God will forgive someone for their sins. Essentially, the victims are forced to forgive their attackers. While forgiveness may seem like a positive thing in other situations, here it leads to a toxic mentality towards crime. According to Jezebel:

  If they did realize that they were assaulted, and they did report it, they are forced to forgive their attacker/rapist/molester. And once that person receives apologizes and receives her forgiveness, the perpetrator can go on with their lives, without punishment. For many women, this means that the father or brother who raped them is allowed back in their home. And will continue to rape them.
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  (#3) Community Leaders Accused The Victims Of Having 'Wild Female Imagination'

  When the nighttime attacks first began, the initial victims were cautious to speak up about what was happening. They couldn't understand what was going on, which made the experiences that much harder to explain to others. When the women did begin to speak out, they were told that they were lying, with one woman being told she was trying to cover up an affair. Some shrugged it off as a plague from God, or something they couldn't combat. Others simply called it "wild female imagination." 

  Even though women would wake up in pain or even naked, nothing was done. The victims would make their beds and go about their day as if nothing had happened. And this went on for years. 
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  (#11) The Assaults Deeply Affected The Community, Even After The Men Were Arrested

  Although the rapists were identified and received 25-year jail sentences, reporters who visited the colony in the following months and years were told by residents that the rapes had not stopped. Women still felt incredibly unsafe in their own homes, and were powerless to stop the continuing attacks.

  To this day, the only methods available to them are installing better locks and bars on their windows.
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  (#1) A Veterinarian In The Community Reformulated A Drug For Anesthetizing Cattle

  A veterinarian in the Mennonite community, Peter Weiber, provided the Manitoba rapists with a special spray he had formulated, using a drug meant for anesthetizing cows. He changed the formula and made it sprayable, so as to easily knock out entire families.  
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  (#10) The Bolivian Government Allows The Mennonites To Essentially Govern Themselves

  The Manitoba Colony runs with almost complete autonomy from the Bolivian government. They are only responsible for contacting local law enforcement in the case of a murder. They don't actually have law enforcement within their own community; church leaders decide a person's guilt and dole out punishment.

  The rapists were originally going to be held within the community - they were to be punished by the church leaders by being kept in shipping containers. But when the Bolivian authorities found out what was happening, they stepped in and officially charged them.
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  (#9) Two Men Were Finally Caught In The Act, And Revealed The Names Of The Other Seven Rapists

  One night in 2009, four years after the rapes began, two of the men were caught while attempting to break into someone's house. Once they had been apprehended, they quickly revealed the names of the other men who had been involved in the rapes. There were nine in total, including the vet who supplied the drug spray, and they were between 19 and 46 years old. 

  For his part as an accomplice to the rapes, a judge gave the vet a 12-year prison sentence. The other men each received a sentence of 25 years.

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