“In the second week of the war, they asked us for a pregnancy test” | – #week #war #asked #pregnancy #test
In November of Ukraine in the city of Chernigov court two Russia accused his soldier of repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor girl and threatening to kill her, thereby “violating the rules and customs of war”.
“In March 2022, during his stay in the Chernigov region [Ruslan] Kuliyev repeatedly tried to rape a young local resident, hit him on the head with a gun and tried to strangle him. In addition, he also attacked his brother and threatened him by shooting at his legs.” – said the prosecutor’s office about one of those soldiers.
Kuliyev is 12, the other is a soldier 10 yearly imprisonment was sentenced to punishment.
of Moscow on February 24, 2022 Ukraine since launching a massive attack on it Russia sexual violence and sexual perpetrated by soldiers torture cases are being recorded. Some during the war Ukraine areas for several weeks or months Russia from the occupation free it is reported that there are hundreds of such cases registered after But the number may be higher.
“The emerging news may be just the tip of the iceberg. Cases of wartime rape can no longer be dismissed as an inevitable consequence of war. All parties are preventable and punishable crime who should know”, – UNSpecial Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten He said at a press conference held in Kyiv in May 2022.
Despite widespread testimony and evidence, Russian officials deny that their soldiers have committed war crimes by targeting civilians.
Ukraine a network of law enforcement officials and humanitarian aid organizations is currently working to both help victims of sexual violence and gather evidence to prosecute perpetrators.
“We should not wait for Russia to lose. Why should we make people’s demand for justice dependent on this?” – of Ukraine Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 Oleksandra Matviychuk he said in an interview with Radio Liberty in November.
Since the attack began, the Cordelia Foundation, based in central Hungary, has helped at least 730 Ukrainians, many of whom have been victims of sexual violence.
“Many of them suffer from fear, depression, lack of strength and motivation, sleep disorders, including nightmares. Most of them work harder and try not to think about the past. Others focus on their children, others leave their homes and think about building a better, peaceful future.” – Founder of “Kordelia”, psychiatrist Lilla Hardy he says.
Lygiai, a Lithuanian-based feminist organization, has been working with victims of sexual violence since the beginning of the Russian offensive.
“In the second week of the war, they asked us for a pregnancy test. We are surprised that this kind of sexual violence has already started. At the same time, large aid organizations such as the Red Cross were sending very few pregnancy tests…”, – founder and director of the organization Reda Yureliavisiute he says.
“Many people do not think about these issues during the war. Sending menstrual pads is not as prestigious as sending helmets for the army. But women still menstruate during wartime, and it’s critical that they have access to personal hygiene products.” – he says.
The organization also helps Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania.
UNIn a report published in September, there is information about 30 cases of sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers since the attack. Among them, rape of eight women and one girl child and “to men torture There are also 15 cases of sexual violence as … method.
Ukrainian officials and aid workers say the number of documented cases of sexual violence in September 2022 Kharkiv from the occupation of a part of the region and Kherson and its surroundings in November free increased sharply after making. of Ukraine The General Prosecutor’s Office said that hundreds of victims of sexual violence were interviewed in February, and 155 people agreed to testify in court about what happened to them. In at least 11 of the documented cases, the victims are children.
A prosecutor who heads a special unit that investigates war crimes involving sexual violence Irina Didenko says that the practice of sexual violence in the Russian military is so widespread that he believes Russian occupation officials are aware of it.
Christian Kit She is the director of “JurFem” association of women lawyers. The organization has “become a place of support for victims of sexual violence” since the start of the Russian attack.
Victims of sexual violence can contact the organization’s several help centers free of charge medical, can receive psychological and legal assistance. “JurFem” volunteers also work in hotlines organized in several regions.
Vice-president of “La Strada Ukraine” organization Katerina Borozdina notes that his organization has created an anonymous channel on Telegram so that victims can tell their stories confidentially. According to him, using chet can be the first step towards overcoming the feelings of fear and shame that prevent victims from seeking legal support.
Kyiv foreign prosecutors and International A crime Together with his court, he is trying to establish a tribunal to punish war crimes committed in Ukraine, including crimes of sexual violence.
Prosecutor Didenko expresses “cautiously optimistic” that the criminals will eventually be punished.