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The challenges to prosecuting rape as a war crime in Ukraine, as allegations arise against Russia

NPR
Published May 3, 2022 at 1:40 PM EDT
On April 13, 2022, a Russian soldier stands guard at the Luhansk power plant in the town of Shchastya. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
On April 13, 2022, a Russian soldier stands guard at the Luhansk power plant in the town of Shchastya. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, claims that thousands of war crimes have been committed by Russian forces all over Ukraine, including acts of sexual violence.

Charli Carpenter, professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, discusses the challenges of prosecuting rape and other sexual crimes used as weapons of war.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.