Ombudsman: Youngest victim of sexual violence in occupied territories is four years old

"The youngest age of the officially documented victim of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or the territories that were under the occupation of the Russian Federation is four years old. The youngest age of a boy who was subjected to sexual violence is six years old," Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets told ISLND TV in an interview, Ukrinform reports.

He emphasized that the Russians rape women, men and children in the temporarily occupied territories, it’s like a system. According to his data, crimes of sexual violence have been recorded in every settlement that was or is under the temporary occupation of the Russian Federation.

According to the Ombudsman, these facts are confirmed not only by the Ukrainian authorities but also by the United Nations.

Lubinets noted that 205 criminal cases have been opened over sexual violence, of which 18 relate to violence against children.

"But we should not interpret this by the number of criminal cases. When we find information about CRSV victim, we, as the state, first of all check whether we sufficiently protect such a person, whether he or she received sufficient medical and psychological support," the Commissioner stressed.

He added that the Ukrainian side never pressures children or parents to officially open criminal proceedings.

As reported, the National Police investigators have already identified 18 Russian soldiers involved in sexual violence. They were served with notices of charges of violating the laws and customs of war in absentia.