World Council of Churches calls for accountability following UN report on sexual violence

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has issued a strong condemnation of sexual violence documented in a recent United Nations Human Rights Office report regarding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Peter Prove, director of the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, described these acts as sins, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, calling for thorough investigations and legal accountability for all perpetrators.

The UN report documents over 1,000 cases of sexual violence occurring since the 2022 escalation of the conflict. According to the findings, 89 percent of these cases are attributed to Russian authorities, with the majority of victims being male prisoners of war subjected to torture, including electric shocks to the genitals. The report also details instances of sexual violence against women and children in occupied territories. Additionally, the report alleges that Ukrainian authorities were involved in 11 percent of the documented cases, primarily involving male prisoners of war, with incidents ranging from threats of violence to sexual assault.