U.N. documents more than 1,000 sexual violence cases during Russia’s full-scale war
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About 1,004 cases of sexual violence against civilians and
prisoners of war have been documented since the start of Russia’s full-scale
invasion of Ukraine, with sexual violence used as part of a shocking pattern of
torture, intimidation and coercion, the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a report
published on Sept. 18.
The report is based on confidential interviews with hundreds
of victims and survivors of sexual violence committed by both sides, as well as
other relevant materials, including court documents and official records.
The United Nations said 89% of the documented cases of
sexual violence were committed by representatives of Russian authorities,
including members of the armed forces, the penitentiary service and the
national security service. The remaining 11% involved acts by representatives
of Ukrainian authorities, the report said.
Most survivors of sexual violence were men, particularly
those in detention, the report said. Women and children were also subjected to
sexual violence, primarily in occupied Ukrainian territory.
The U.N. said the documented violations included gang rape,
rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks to and beatings of the genitals, as
well as other sexually degrading acts.
The youngest documented rape survivor was a 4-year-old girl,
while the oldest was an 82-year-old woman, the report said. According to the
U.N., representatives of Russian authorities perpetrated the sexual violence in
both cases.
Many male survivors of sexual violence reported being
subjected to electric shocks to their genitals using a Soviet military field
telephone known as a “tapik.”
“The application of electric shocks to the genitals using a
‘tapik’ or stun gun was a common form of sexual violence against Ukrainian
prisoners of war and detained medical personnel: 155 people (27%) were
subjected to this form of violence at least once,” the report said.
The report said threats of sexual violence accounted for
nearly half of the violations attributed to Ukrainian authorities against
Russian prisoners of war and POWs from third countries.
The remaining violations included forced nudity; electric
shocks to and beatings of the genitals; electric shocks and beatings while
victims were naked; sexually degrading treatment; two cases of sexual assault;
and two attempted rapes.
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