CRSV Mobile Justice Team conducted trainings on conflict-related sexual violence and PEACE interviewing models for regional prosecutors and investigators of the Security Service and National Police of Ukraine in Kharkiv and Mykolaiv.
Legal advisors, along with the dozens of participants, discussed the definition and detection of CRSV, indicators of these types of crimes, legal qualification of acts of CRSV, as well as evidence in CRSV cases.
“Although Ukrainian authorities have made big progress and are very eager to investigate conflict-related sexual violence, there are still a lot of challenges in investigating such crimes. That’s why it is essential for us in GRC to support prosecutors and investigators in regions,” said Karine Ardault, senior investigator and team lead of CRSV MJT.
“It is essential to ensure that CRSV investigations and prosecutions in Ukraine follow international standards. The training we developed focuses on accommodating these standards within the Ukrainian justice system.” underscored Anastasiia Moiseieva, deputy team lead of CRSV MJT.
Amidst an ongoing armed conflict, the exact extent and scale of conflict-related sexual violence is still unknown. Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) is currently overseeing investigations in over 270 cases.
Among the documented forms of sexual violence committed against Ukrainian men and women are rape, electrocution of genitals, forced castration, forced nudity, forced witnessing of sexual violence, and threats of rape, sexual mutilation and other forms of sexual violence.
This training is part of the ongoing project entitled “Ukrainian Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Integrated Support Mechanism”, funded by EU FPI. To read more about the project, visit https://cutt.ly/8wOPQl77