On 19 June, the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA) marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict by recognising the dignity, courage and rights of survivors, and by underscoring that conflict-related sexual violence must be investigated and prosecuted with the seriousness it requires.
Сonflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has been a persistent feature of the armed conflict in Ukraine since the onset of Russia’s aggression in 2014. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, both the scale and frequency of these crimes increased significantly, including the widespread use of sexual violence and sexual torture, particularly in places of detention.
In its judgment in Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that it was “persuaded that sexual violence and rape were deployed in Ukraine following the February 2022 invasion as part of a military strategy to dehumanise, humiliate and break the morale of the Ukrainian population, as individuals and as a community, and to assert dominance over Ukrainian sovereign territory.”
A major step towards accountability and justice for victims and survivors of these crimes was the inclusion of Russian armed and security forces in the latest United Nations list of parties credibly suspected of committing, or being responsible for, patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict. This marked the first time in history that Russian armed and security forces were designated on the list.
On this day, ACA commends the work of Ukrainian prosecutors, investigators, civil society organisations, survivor networks and international partners who continue their efforts to advance accountability for conflict-related sexual violence during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. We stand with survivors and victims of sexual violence in conflict, whose courage and resilience continue to inspire the pursuit of justice.
Read the full statement here: https://www.aca-ukraine.org/press/aca-statement-on-the-international-day-for-the-elimination-of-sexual-violence-in-conflict/
Read the full statement in Ukrainian here: https://www.aca-ukraine.org/uk/press/aca-statement-on-the-international-day-for-the-elimination-of-sexual-violence-in-conflict/