WARTIME SEXUAL VIOLENCE OFFENCES: QUEST TO UNRAVEL THE ASSOCIATED CONSEQUENCES IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

Abstract

Despite increasing awareness and the huge condemnation of sexual violence during armed conflicts in the last decades, the bodies of women and girls continue to be regarded as spoils and bonus of war globally. Warring parties often engage the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence, as a tool to punish, terrorize and destroy targeted ethnic populations. In other instances, rebels and terrorist groups engage sexual violence as a weapon and strategy to advance their mundane objectives. the paper aims at examining the consequences and impact of wartime sexual violence on women, and men as well as the impact of such violence on their family and immediate society during armed conflicts. The paper finds that despite efforts made by the international community through the enactment of laws and resolutions in curtailing the scourge of sexual violence during wartime, rape and other forms of sexual violence are still being employed during armed conflict situations as weapon and tactics of war by soldiers and other armed groups. The paper relies on primary and secondary information such as International Conventions and Treaties, Books, Journal Articles, Judicial Precedents and Internet Materials. Flowing from the above, the paper concludes that the desired need to end sexual violence generated impunity is possible through sensitization and propaganda vide non-governmental organizations, accountability and coordinated enforcement through both domestic and international institutions. The paper further recommends that women and other victims of wartime violence who steps out to speak and report the crime of sexual violence committed against them should be protected and rewarded as this would lead to the massive reporting, arresting and prosecuting of perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence.