Isolation and Connection in 5·18 Sexual Violence Testimonies: Conditions and Contexts

Trauma can be healed not only through the inner integration of fragmented individuals but also by reconnecting with the larger community and society, which were severed in the aftermath of violence. In other words, full integration can only be approached by restoring the relationships that sustain the lives of witnesses. This article, which begins by exploring the concept of community responsibility in relation to testimony, examines the case of sexual violence committed by Military Occupation Forces during the 5·18 Democratization Movement. The case, investigated in 2019 and concluded in 2023, is significant as it marks the first time a state agency with legal authority investigated sexual violence as part of state violence, with the findings subsequently published in a national report. This article focuses on analyzing the key moments that led to the testimonies of sexual violence related to the 5·18. There was a 40-year gap since the Uprising and a 30-year gap from the first public testimonies of 5·18 sexual violence before this investigation took place. The primary focus is on recounting the conditions of non-testimony that contributed to these gaps. The first chapter examines the 2018 testimony and the subsequent chain of testimonies that followed it as a crucial catalyst for the investigation. The second chapter analyzes the fragmented attempts to testify to sexual violence before the 2018 public testimonies and explores the reasons behind their failure. The third chapter examines how the 5·18 testimonies introduced new methodologies for uncovering violence and harm. This article ultimately asserts the responsibility to expand the possibilities for listening to and interpreting both the previously unheard testimonies of the past and those that will emerge in the future.