Thousands of adults and children may have survived Russian sexual assaults but few have come forward and far fewer have seen any punishment
hen Russian forces occupied Halyna’s village near Bucha, she tried to keep a low profile. She stayed indoors and, when the food ran out, survived off leftover chicken feed scavenged from her garden at night. Yet two young soldiers came to the door, accusing her of hiding Ukrainian troops. They stripped her naked and raped her.
Ukraine’s prosecutor general has recorded more than 97,000 reports of alleged war crimes committed by the invading forces. They include torture, summary killing and the targeting of civilian infrastructure. Yet, as of August, it was investigating just 208 cases of sexual violence. Kateryna Pavlichenko, the deputy minister of internal affairs, coordinates the work of police units investigating conflict-related sexual violence. She said the brutality and intensity of the full-scale war presented police with challenges they had not faced before, and they have had to adapt quickly.
Ukraine is trying to push through changes on a legislative level that would grant survivors of sexual violence special status and make them eligible for state financial support, something that could encourage people to report crimes in the future. “Men can be subjected to extra social stigma. They don’t want to be seen as a victim or as weak, so few are ready to speak publicly,” said Volodomyr Shvherbachenko, the head of the East-Ukrainian Centre for Civil Initiatives , an NGO that documents conflict-related human rights violations.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
UN commission finds Russians tortured Ukrainians to deathA United Nations-mandated investigative body finds Russians tortured Ukrainians so brutally that some of their victims died, and forced families to listen as they raped women next door.
Read more »
How 'powerful' mental health insights from Australians could help traumatised UkrainiansPsychiatrists and psychologists from Ukraine say the strategies and tools used to treat mental illness in regional NSW can work for those struggling with access due to war in their homeland.
Read more »
Inquiry hears Russia tortured some Ukrainians to deathA United Nations led inquiry has found Russian forces tortured Ukrainians so brutally that some of their victims died. It also says the Russians forced families to listen as they raped women in adjacent rooms.
Read more »
Nagorno-Karabakh: thousands escape to Armenia after Azerbaijani offensiveArmenian prime minister says ethnic Armenians in disputed enclave face ‘danger of ethnic cleansing’
Read more »
Thousands of refugees flee to ArmeniaThousands of refugees are currently fleeing Azerbaijan for Armenia. The mass evacuation follows the seizure of a disputed region which occurred mid-September. More than 6,000 people have crossed into Armenia since the government announced plans to relocate those displaced by the fighting. Those who choose to remain have been warned they risk being the victims of ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of refuges have received government-funded housing and plans are in place to look after thousands more.
Read more »