Trigger warning: discusses rape and sexual assault
A Ukrainian MP, Maria Mezentseva, along with the Human Rights Watch, is raising the alarm that Russian soldiers are reportedly raping Ukrainian women and threatening them with weapons. In one instance, Mezentseva says that an alleged sexual assault took place in front of a woman's child. Rape and sexual assault are considered war crimes, as well as a breach of international humanitarian law.
Speaking on Sky News, Mezentseva said, "There is one case which was very widely discussed recently because it's been recorded and proceeded with [by] the prosecutor's office, and we're not going into details, but it's quite a scary scene when a civilian was shot dead in his house in a small town next to Kyiv. His wife was – I’m sorry but I have to say it – raped several times in front of her underage child."
It's believed that following the brutal attack, the soldier then threatened the child.
Mezentseva is now calling upon the UK to advise how best to support victims of such a heinous crime and said she "will not be silent" on the issue.
"There are many more victims rather than just this one case which has been made public by the prosecutor general," she explained. "We are expecting many more of them, which will be public once victims will be ready to talk about that.
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"That’s why we've been talking to Boris Johnson, when we will be talking to your Home Office, when we've been talking to MPs of the UK... we've also raised this issue that this aftermath, which we are dealing with right now, the aftermath of war, has to be taken very seriously."
The MP continued, "[We] take into account the UK experience and experience of other countries, which can help us in dealing with psychologists, and how to help these people to actually live [through] these cases, to keep going afterwards, to keep living."
Ukrainian journalist, Anna Myroniuk, also tweeted about the alleged sexual violence taking place at the hands of Russian forces saying: "'He told me to give him [oral sex]. The whole time he held the gun near my temple or put it into my face. Twice he shot at the ceiling and said it was to give me more "motivation",' a female victim, raped by a Russian soldier, told @HRW."
As part of a Human Rights Watch report which also alleges Russian soldiers have been looting civilian property and enacting other forms of unlawful violence, Hugh Williamson, a director at Human Rights Watch, said, "The cases we documented amount to unspeakable, deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians. Rape, murder, and other violent acts against people in the Russian forces' custody should be investigated as war crimes."
See here for more information on how to support the people of Ukraine
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
