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The report was published by “Medica Mondiale”, an international humanitarian organisation for women’s rights, and was presented at a roundtable on “Processing sexual abuse in armed conflicts – protection and rights of victim-witnesses of war violence” held in Sarajevo on November 24.
“While testifying at war crimes trials, sexual abuse victims are minimized because they are the only living evidence in these cases. It is necessary to provide them with information about the legal process and prepare them for testifying,” says Mlinarevic.
She listed recommendations, including some given by sexual abuse victims, that would enable these individuals to testify about the traumas they experienced.
The report notes that the testimony of sexual abuse victims at war crimes trials would be facilitated by providing them with transportation, medical assistance if necessary, emotional support from women who have been through similar experiences and psychological support.
The Study was prepared on the basis of interviews with 50 women – all rape victims, who testified at war crimes trials before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as interviews with judges and prosecutors involved in the cases.
Monica Hauser, representative of “Medica Mondiale”, said that violence against women will continue if society keeps quiet about these crimes.
“The entire society is responsible for helping women-victims to build their own perspectives. Many experts and witnesses attended the roundtable. I hope that by establishing a working group of experts, we will help the survivors finally see justice,” Hauser said.
The roundtable was supported by the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As legal advisor Stephanie Barbour explained, the OSCE considers that problems facing victims and their protection must be urgently solved, particularly when it comes to victims of sexual abuse.
“Without the urgent improvement of witness protection, Bosnia and Herzegovina will simply not be able to achieve the goals set in the State War Crimes Processing Strategy,” Barbour said.
E.M.
