Rape cases reported as sexual violence rears ugly head in Ukraine
Women pose with placards during a charity concert 'Together for Ukraine' in Prague on April 3, 2022. Early March, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, said there were numerous cases of Russian soldiers raping women.
What you need to know:
- Numerous cases of Russian soldiers raping women in Ukraine have been reported.
- Mariia Mezentseva, a Ukrainian Member of Parliament mentions a horrendous rape case in Brovary, an eastern suburb of Kyiv.
- Many rape cases are going unreported.
Russian invasion of Ukraine has dragged out the ugly face of sexual violence against women during the war.
Early March, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, said there were numerous cases of Russian soldiers raping women.
“When bombs fall on your cities, when soldiers rape women in the occupied cities — and we have numerous cases of, unfortunately, when Russian soldiers rape women in Ukrainian cities — it’s difficult, of course, to speak about the efficiency of the international law,” he is quoted by Washington Post to have said on March 4, during an online event at Chatham House, a London-based think tank.
Horrendous rape case
During Sky News ‘Sophy Ridge’ show recently, Mariia Mezentseva, a Ukrainian Member of Parliament for Verkhovna Rada was particular about the abuse of women.
She mentioned a horrendous rape case in Brovary, an eastern suburb of Kyiv.
“There is one case which was very widely discussed recently because it’s been recorded and proceeded (by) the prosecutor’s office,” said Ms Mezentseva who is also head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
“A civilian was shot dead in his house in a small town next to Kyiv. “His wife was - I’m sorry but I have to say it- raped several times in front of her underage child.”
A week ago, the prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova, said the attack was being investigated by the authorities and Ukraine had told Russia that an arrest warrant had been issued for the soldier, the Guardian reported.
Ms Mezentseva, however, said there are many more similar cases yet to be reported.
War crimes
“There are many more victims rather than just this one case which has been made public by the prosecutor general,” she said.
“And of course, we are expecting many more of them, which will be public once victims will be ready to talk about that.
Rape and other forms of sexual violence are war crimes under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1820. And member countries are obligated to prosecute persons responsible for such acts
United Nations Children's Fund has also warned that more than 1.5 million children who have fled Ukraine since the start of the war on February 24, are at a high risk of human trafficking and exploitation, often ending up being sexually abused.
