Press statement | 17.06.2016

International Day of combating sexual violence in conflict

On the occasion of 19 June, International Day of combating sexual violence in conflict, Ombudspersons of Bosnia and Herzegovina would like to turn attention of the public to insufficient support given to victims of such violence, and to point out the measures to be taken by the authorities in order to strengthen the protection and support to the victims and survivors of sexual violence in war through the improvement of their health, economic and psycho-social status.

Ombudspersons also point to the importance of active participation and support of the whole society to all the victims and survivors of sexual violence in war, but also raising awareness of the victims of this violence with regard to legislation, protection of human and other rights of the victims.

Ombudspersons remind that the international law requires that Bosnia and Herzegovina provides reparations to victims of wartime sexual violence. However, the obvious flaws as it comes to reparations are mostly caused by the absence of legal framework governing the right to reparation of the victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In fact, even 21 years after the Dayton agreement a system that will guarantee equal rights or equal treatment of all victims of wartime sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet established.

Particular attention should be paid to the rights of victims and witnesses of wartime sexual violence, as well as the situation of male victims of wartime sexual violence and children born as a result of rape during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Strategy for improving the status of women victims of sexual violence during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is subject to preparation, should serve as a framework to ensure equal access to health and social protection for all victims in the country, as it should serve to initiate necessary activities to bring perpetrators of violence to justice, as it is a basic prerequisite for the prevention of human rights violations.

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