Not just women. Men and boys in invaded Ukraine have also been victims of sexual violence by Russian soldiers. Ukrainian and UN officials are already investigating dozens of cases of abuse.
In a press conference in Kiev, Pramila Patten, a United Nations official, said: «I have received reports, not yet verified, on cases of sexual violence against men and boys in Ukraine. It is difficult for women and girls to report rape, due to – among other reasons – the stigma, but often it is even more difficult for men and boys: we must create that safe space in which all victims can report cases of sexual violence. Bodies are not a battlefield and should never be treated as if they were. “
Patten explains: “I am working with various UN agencies for ensure that there are services adapted to the needs of men and boysbecause everywhere, in many situations of conflict, I have observed that there is a lack of services suited to their needs ».
The dozens of cases of sexual violence that are currently being investigated “represent only the tip of the iceberg.” Patten wants to encourage the victims to come forward and urges the international community to identify the perpetrators of the violence. “The documentation of today“, He says, “will be the prosecution of tomorrow. I want you to know that your rights don’t end when wars start. “
Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova said her office has collected reports of sexual violence by Russian troops against men and women of all ages, from children to the elderly. At a press conference in Irpin, a (destroyed) suburb of Kyiv, Venediktova said Russian troops use rape as a deliberate strategy. “This obviously serves to scare civil society, to do everything to force Ukraine to capitulate.” There are few public reports of sexual violence: some victims have left the country and those who remain are afraid to talk about their experience, according to the attorney general. But prosecutors and investigators have gathered evidence of sexual assault since Russian forces pulled out just over a month ago. Victims and their families report of gang rapes, armed assaults and sexual abuse committed in front of children.
For too long, added Patten, the use of the sexual violence as a weapon economical, silent and effective. «Cheap because it is free. Very effective, because it affects not only the victim, but entire families, communities. It is biological warfare. It is a psychological war ».
– War in Ukraine
Source: Vanity Fair
