Article

Conflict-related sexual violence : achievements and challenges in international criminal law and the role of the military

By A. L. M. de Brouwer

• Militair-rechtelijk tijdschrift, Vol. 108, issue 2, 2015, p. 53-73

English

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Despite the often high occurrence of sexual violence in conflict and its enormous potential to destroy individual lives and communities and societies at large (capable of rising to a national and international peace and security issue), perpetrators of these crimes have often not been prosecuted. Prosecutions before international criminal tribunals are relatively rare and on the national level, conflict-related sexual violence prosecutions are very often minimal or non-existent. Prevention-strategies are furthermore given more thought; yet more needs to be learned and done in order to make the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence more effective. While it is not possible to cover everything of relevance to conflict-related sexual violence, some of the most important achievements and current challenges concerning the understanding, prevention, investigation and prosecution of sexual violence in conflict, with special attention to the role of the military, is addressed in this contribution.

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