Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: Prosecutorial Strategy of the International Criminal Court and Persistent Obstacles
Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: Prosecutorial Strategy of the International Criminal Court and Persistent Obstacles

Summary/Abstract: When we think about weapons of war, guns, bullets, and bombs come to our mind, not rape or sexual violence. But rape does more than just wound, it is a military strategy used to deny and destroy the identity of a targeted community. Historically, sexual violence in armed conflicts was considered a byproduct of war, simply as unrestrained sexual behaviour amid lawlessness and a breakdown of societal infrastructure. By digging deeper into the aims and intentions, sexual violence developed into a strategic tool of discrimination and hate, and a weapon of warfare, largely targeted at humiliation, torture, demoralisation, and individual or collective shaming. This article will discuss the evolution of recognising sexual violence as a crime from ancient times, when it was not a crime at all. By spotlighting these facts, this article will define a comprehensive understanding of sexual violence acts in armed conflict considered as a crime. There will be a discussion on the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s prosecutorial strategy on perpetrators and some existing obstacles of the ICC in addressing and charging sexual violence.

• Details
• Contents