KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Authorities in Ukraine have set up a national registry to document cases of sexual violence allegedly committed by Russian forces, a senior prosecutor told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Viktoriia Litvinova, the country’s deputy attorney general, said the registry was created on the basis of a pilot project that had already resulted in the convictions of five people in absentia. She declined to comment on the details of the cases.
“We used to have to visit areas where hostilities are taking place ourselves,” she said. “But now people – individuals who have experienced sexual abuse – are looking to us for information.”
Litvinova said that since the start of the large-scale invasion in early 2022, 303 cases of conflict-related sexual violence have been recorded, involving 112 male and 191 female victims. Some victims suffered multiple assaults, she said.
The initiative was announced on the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence and has received support from UN agencies and several Western governments.
Government officials said the registry could be used in the future to file claims for financial compensation for the victims from Russia. The five convictions stemmed from allegations of sexual violence in areas attacked or occupied by Russian forces, in Kiev and the cities of Kherson and Chernihiv.
Massimo Diana, a representative of the UN Population Fund, said the actual number of victims was likely to be much higher than the number in the register.
“This violence has been committed against women and girls, against men and boys. No one is exempt from the risk of this heinous act,” Diana said.
His office had helped set up 12 support centers across the country for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, he said, along with three mobile facilities.
To raise awareness of the program and encourage victims to come forward, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna unveiled a painting by artist Julia Tveritina at a gallery and art center in Kiev.
“The painting shows men and women surrounded by yellow rapeseed flowers,” said Stefanishyna. “This flower renews itself after frost and symbolizes the hope that all survivors can put their past traumatic events behind them.” ___
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