The former British foreign secretary Jack Straw says the conflict in Ukraine demonstrates that safeguards against sexual violence being used as a weapon of war are failing to protect terrorised civilian populations.
The Labour politician said a “mounting body of evidence has demonstrated that summary executions, rape and torture have been used against civilians in areas under Russian control since the Kremlin’s invasion”. He added that “there appears to have been little attempt to hide the crimes”.
“The psychological violence inflicted by sexual assault is such that it takes a great deal of courage for survivors to acknowledge their suffering, come forward and demand justice,” Mr Straw wrote in the UK's Independent newspaper. “Speaking out itself is a deeply traumatic ordeal. Those who do come forward do not always receive the support they deserve.
“Together with military and economic aid, the West and, if we can achieve this, the entire international community must provide humanitarian assistance to safeguard civilians, support survivors’ access to legal and medical services, and work to prevent future atrocities.”
Mr Straw praised the UK government for its efforts to ensure that the threat was being addressed, both in providing resources and launching the Murad Code that sets out guidelines on how to interview survivors of sexual violence. Named in hour of Yazidi survivor and campaigner Nadia Murad, the initiative aims to support evidence-gathering processes within targeted communities.
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“The UK has been one of the leading country donors to the Ukrainian crisis, committing nearly £400m for urgent economic and humanitarian support since the invasion and a further £10m Civil Society Fund to support Ukrainian organisations, including those helping victims of conflict-related sexual violence,” he said.
“In addition, the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, announced the deployment of a team of war crimes specialists, with experts in conflict-related sexual violence, to support the Ukrainian government in gathering evidence and prosecuting war crimes committed by Russian forces.”
Noting that sexual violence has been “virtually ubiquitous in conflicts around the world since records began” Mr Straw viewed the conflict in Ukraine as a harrowing reminder that the practice continues unabated as a tactic of modern-day warfare.
He held out some hope that a new UN framework of co-operation on the prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence would strengthen accountability for horrific crimes. With seven million Ukrainians having fled their country since February, Refugee Week provides an opportunity to spread this message more broadly.
“Crucially, we need the global donor community to stand in solidarity with Ukrainian authorities and UN entities to support the framework’s implementation if it is to have a lasting impact,” he added. “Let these significant occasions trigger reflection and renewed global commitment to join forces, ramp up efforts to achieve accountability for all such crimes, realise justice for all victims, and finally put a stop to sexual violence in conflict.”
