United Nations Envoy Pramila Patten alleged that rapes and sexual assaults by Russian soldiers in Ukraine have become the Kremlin’s "military strategy" and a "deliberate tactic to dehumanise the victims" of the now eight-month-long war.
In an interview with AFP on Thursday, Patten stressed that "All the indications are there," when asked if rape was being used as a weapon of war in Ukraine.
More than a hundred cases of rape
"When women are held for days and raped, when you start to rape little boys and men, when you see a series of genital mutilations, when you hear women testify about Russian soldiers equipped with Viagra, it's clearly a military strategy," she said.
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"And when the victims report what was said during the rapes, it is clearly a deliberate tactic to dehumanise the victims."
Referring to a UN report, Patten further highlighted that “more than a hundred cases” of rape or sexual assaults have been verified in Ukraine since Russia initiated its “special military operation” in February.
The report "confirmed crimes against humanity committed by the Russian forces, and according to gathered testimonies, the age of the victims of sexual violence ranges from four to 82-years-old," she said.
The victims are mostly women and girls, but also men and boys, she added.
Tip of the iceberg
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Patten, who is also the UN Special Rapporteur on Sexual Violence further added that the "reported cases are only the tip of the iceberg,” stressing that "It's very difficult to have reliable statistics during an active conflict, and the numbers will never reflect reality, because sexual violence is a silent crime" that is largely underreported.
UN experts have repeatedly highlighted signs of Russian war crimes including beating of detainees, electric shocks, executions, and gender based violence.
