Acts of sexual violence are horrific crimes against individuals. Women, girls...

Acts of sexual violence are horrific crimes against individuals. Women, girls and boys who are raped are not only heartlessly robbed of their basic dignity during the time of the crime, but also bear the scars of those appalling acts long after hostilities have ceased. No amount of compensation can heal those wounds. The sad reality is that most victims are forgotten, and the perpetrators of the unspeakable crimes against them are never brought to justice. When committed in armed conflict and employed deliberately and systematically, such acts constitute a weapon of war designed to inflict suffering, instill fear and destroy the social fabric of communities and families. As is rightly emphasized in the Secretary-General's report,