Call to redouble efforts as report reveals sexual violence in conflict ‘still as prevalent’

By The Press Association12th April 2016News EnglandNews England, Sexual Abuse, Violence

Sexual violence in conflict is “as prevalent, if not more prevalent” than it was when William Hague and Angelina Jolie launched an international push to wipe out the war crime, a report has found.

More than 120 countries backed a commitment eradicate the “barbaric” practice after the former foreign secretary and the Oscar winner shone a global spotlight on the issue.

But peers have warned that the Government must “redouble” its efforts to ensure progress is not “squandered” and said there “remains much more to be done”.

Sexual violence in conflict is being committed in at least 19 countries, according to the House of Lords Committee on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Jolie and Lord Hague co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in 2012 to press for perpetrators to be held to account and to protect the rights of survivors.

The Sexual Violence in Conflict report says: “The PSVI has helped to raise awareness of sexual violence in conflict and has generated momentum. But the hard fact is that sexual violence in conflict is as prevalent, if not more prevalent, as it has ever been.”

Peers called for the Government to resist any peace settlement in Syria that proposes amnesties for perpetrators of sexual violence during the conflict.

Ministers should push for the “naming and shaming” of states that fail to investigate or take action against peacekeeping troops accused of these crimes, they added.

Committee chairman Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne said the PSVI had made an “important contribution” in raising awareness.

“However, if that good start is not to be squandered, it is time for a clear strategic plan on how to take forward the battle against sexual violence in conflict. We need a five-year strategy with the PSVI’s work appropriately resourced and embedded across Government.

“Victims of sexual violence in conflict face unimaginable trauma, which is then exacerbated by the stigma they then often face in their own communities. Their needs must be the priority for organisations working in post-conflict zones.

“The Government should be working now to prepare for the dreadful legacy of the violence and inhumanity of groups such as Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Any meaningful peace process in Syria must include significant participation by women and the Government should resist any settlement that includes amnesties for perpetrators of sexual violence.”

Erica Hall, World Vision UK’s senior child rights adviser, said: “We’re calling for the Government to launch an ambitious programme to stamp out sexual violence by all perpetrators around the world, including peacekeepers. Whitehall must pull together a five-year plan and make this a priority for all the Government departments involved.

“Children born of rape can suffer a lifetime of stigma, shunned by their communities and even their own mothers as a constant reminder of violence or even genocide. The children themselves have to come to terms with the fact that half of their DNA belongs to a war criminal – while facing perpetual blame for something they played no part in.”

Baroness Anelay, the Prime Minister’s special representative on preventing sexual violence in conflict, said: “The Government has led international efforts to end the scourge of sexual violence in conflict and will continue to do so.

“We have allocated over £30 million to improve international standards, strengthen how militaries prevent these crimes and ensure survivors receive the support they deserve.”