Women have been raped during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an MP in the country has said
(Picture: AP)Ukrainian women who have been raped by Russian soldiers will not have to wait decades to see the perpetrators brought to justice, the Prime Minister’s special representative on preventing sexual violence in conflict vowed on Wednesday.
Lord Tariq Ahmad is to lay out the Murad Code — a new global code designed to drastically improve the ability for survivors of sexual violence in war zones to get justice — at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday.
The guidelines have been put together with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, a survivor of sexual assault by Islamic State, and provide instructions for how best to collect evidence to ensure criminals have the highest chance of being prosecuted.
Lord Ahmad said it was important that witness statements were collected in a “co-ordinated way”, which has not always been the case in previous conflicts.
He told the Standard: “The issue of prosecution remains a big challenge. If you look at, for example, the Balkans War and what happened in Bosnia Herzegovina, even now there are still women who are waiting for justice.
"The wheels of justice must ultimately deliver.”
He added: “When I have sat opposite these survivors, including people like Nadia, women from Bosnia who have now waited 25 years for a perpetrator who they may even see in the street still running free, to be brought to justice.
"Well, we need to do better.
“If we can through the work we are doing... and through the appalling crimes that we are increasingly seeing evidence of in Ukraine, we can put those wheels of justice in place and make them quicker and more effective.
"The best way to do it is through the establishment of a structured system of collecting evidence and the Murad Code aims to do just that.”
The UN has called for an independent investigation into sexual violence in Ukraine.
Last week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Security Council that Russian forces in Bucha had gang-raped women, some in front of their children.
Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko highlighted the case of a 16-year-old girl in Bucha who was allegedly kidnapped and raped before being shot in the head.
The UK has pledged to help support the prosecution of soldiers who commit sexual offences and other war crimes, and has set up a £10 million civil society fund to support organisations in Ukraine, including those helping women and girls affected by conflict-related sexual violence.
The Metropolitan Police's specialist unit is also helping gather evidence of war crimes in Ukraine.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “It is absolutely unacceptable that sexual violence and rape are happening in conflicts around the world, and ending it is one of my top priorities.
“I am appalled by the growing number of reports of sexual violence by Russian forces emerging from the conflict in Ukraine. The launch of the Murad Code is a vital step towards helping and supporting survivors and bringing perpetrators to justice for their crimes.”
Ms Murad, who will be speaking at the UN on Wednesday, added: "Efforts to end sexual violence are gaining momentum, in large part thanks to brave survivors around the world who have shared their stories. But too often, reporting sexual violence has negative consequences for survivors.
“The Murad Code lays out clear and practical guidelines for centering the needs of survivors when collecting evidence, and ensuring that they receive justice and support, rather than repercussions. Survivors deserve at least that."
