The international community cannot remain indifferent to such atrocities, nor...

The international community cannot remain indifferent to such atrocities, nor accept the myth that rape is an inevitable by-product of war. Doing so would paralyse any attempt to eradicate such actions. Sexual violence must be considered a violation of the victims' human rights; that being the case, the perpetrators must be prosecuted, judged and punished. At the same time, we must step-up awareness-raising campaigns aimed at the civilian population vis-à-vis preventing such crimes. And we must urge States to strengthen protection for girls and women in conflicts.