Weapon of war: Sexual violence against men | DW Documentary

Key Concepts

• Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War: The systematic use of sexual violence against both men and women as a tactic to terrorize, humiliate, and destroy enemy populations.
• Male Rape Survivors: Men who have experienced sexual violence, often facing unique challenges due to societal prejudice and lack of understanding.
• International Criminal Tribunals: Courts established to prosecute war crimes, including sexual violence, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
• Systematic Policy of War Crimes: The recognition that sexual violence can be part of a deliberate strategy employed by military or state actors.
• Gendered Nature of Sexual Violence: Understanding how sexual violence targets specific aspects of gender identity and masculinity to inflict maximum harm.
• Trauma and Psychological Impact: The profound and lasting mental health consequences of experiencing sexual violence, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
• Stigmatization and Discrimination: The societal prejudice and negative labeling faced by survivors, particularly men, which hinders their ability to seek help and reintegrate into society.
• Legal and Judicial Mechanisms: The frameworks and processes in place (or lacking) to hold perpetrators accountable and provide justice to survivors.
• Pre-war and Wartime Violence: The connection between existing societal norms of violence and how they are amplified and weaponized during armed conflict.
• Prison Culture and Violence: The perpetuation of sexual violence within penal systems and its transfer to military contexts.

Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War and its Impact on Male Survivors

Introduction: The Pervasive Nature of Sexual Violence in Conflict

Sexual violence has been a consistent weapon throughout history in warfare, employed against both women and men. It serves as a tool to dismantle an enemy without direct killing, constituting a war crime, an effective military tactic, and a deeply taboo subject. While survivors of sexual violence in conflict regions, including the first male victims to seek justice in court from the Bosnian War and those in Africa, are increasingly breaking their silence, perpetrators often remain unaccountable. The video explores whether this can change, highlighting recent instances and historical precedents.

Case Study: Ukraine - Russian Forces and Sexual Violence Against Men

The transcript details the harrowing experiences of Ukrainian men, Alexi Sebach and Roman Chapoinko, who were captured and subjected to sexual violence by invading Russian forces in Kherson.

• Targeting and Capture: Roman Chapoenko was taken from his home for acts of resistance, such as displaying Ukrainian flags. Alexi Civak, a former sailor, was captured after returning from Odessa and choosing to stay to care for sick relatives and pets.
• Imprisonment and Torture: Both men were held in a former Ukrainian police jail, an overcrowded cell, and subjected to systematic torture. This included electric shocks administered via a dynamo, beatings with fists and batons, and specifically, electric shocks to their genitals.
• Forced Self-Harm and Humiliation: Alexi recounts being forced to attach electrodes to his own scrotum and penis, enduring 20-30 electric shocks per turn of a field telephone lever. This was accompanied by repeated questioning about the Ukrainian army.
• Physical Mutilation: One torturer stabbed Alexi in the leg with a knife and twisted it. He was held in the cell for 51 days.
• Threats of Sterilization: Both survivors reported being told by their captors, "We're going to sterilize you now," highlighting the intent to destroy their masculinity and reproductive capacity.
• Investigative Findings: Investigators found evidence consistent with the men's accounts, including field telephones used for systematic torture.
• Legal Challenges in Ukraine: A significant hurdle for survivors in Ukraine is the legal requirement to publish the names of witnesses and trial decisions in public media, which can deter victims from coming forward due to privacy concerns and potential societal backlash. Despite this, Alexi and Roman chose to testify.
• Long-Term Impact: The physical injuries, trauma, and shock have made returning to normal life impossible for them. Alexi expresses concern about his ability to have children due to the torture.

The Global Context: Research and Patterns of Sexual Violence Against Men

Regina Muhoisa, a historian and member of an international network researching sexual violence in armed conflict, provides insights into the broader patterns.

• Primary Location: Sexual violence against men predominantly occurs in captive situations, such as prisons and prisoner of war camps, rather than on the battlefield.
• Targeting of Genitals: Acts of brutality often target the genitals, with the explicit aim of humiliating, degrading, and destroying men's masculinity and sexuality.
• Comparison with African Conflicts: Similar patterns are observed in numerous African conflicts, where sexual violence against men is prevalent.

Case Study: Eastern Congo and Uganda - Masakolo Limba's Experience

Masakolo Limba (Freddy), a refugee from Eastern Congo living in Uganda, shares his traumatic experience.

• Context of Conflict: Eastern Congo is rich in natural resources and has been a site of prolonged conflict between government troops and militia groups, leading to widespread sexual violence against tens of thousands of women and men.
• Capture and Father's Murder: Masakolo and his father were intercepted by rebels. His father was shot and killed, and his body was urinated on.
• Forced Recruitment and Sexual Violence: Masakolo was held for three days and nights, blindfolded, with the rebels attempting to recruit him and threatening his wife. During this period, he was repeatedly raped.
• Escape and Displacement: He managed to escape with the help of a rebel who was an old friend of his father. However, his village had been burned down by rebels, forcing him to flee to the Nakal refugee camp in Uganda.
• Support and Healing: In the refugee camp, Masakolo connected with the Refugee Law Project, an aid organization supporting traumatized individuals. He received medical and counseling support, though the availability of such resources is severely limited for thousands of refugees.
• Medical Consequences: Doctors like Rita Atukwat have treated survivors with severe injuries, including castration, wounds from assaults, and necrotized tissue from tied penises. Survivors often suffer from insomnia and depression.
• Stigma and Homosexuality: In Uganda, where homosexuality is highly stigmatized and carries severe penalties (life imprisonment or death), survivors of sexual violence, particularly men, face the added risk of being labeled homosexual, which can lead to further ostracization and danger.
• Community Rejection: Survivors report being rejected by host communities, facing difficulties in daily life, and being perceived as homosexual due to their experiences.
• The Role of the Refugee Law Project: This organization provides crucial support, including group sessions for survivors to share their experiences and find solidarity. However, new legislation in Uganda makes their work extremely difficult, with some hospitals refusing to treat survivors out of fear of backlash.

Historical Precedent: The Former Yugoslavia and the ICTY

The conflicts in the former Yugoslavia played a crucial role in changing the global understanding of sexual violence against men.

• Bosnian War and Targeting of Men: During the Bosnian War, Bosnian Muslim civilians, including men and boys, were victims of widespread sexual violence, often in camps run by the Bosnian Serb army.
• Establishment of the ICTY: In 1993, the UN Security Council established the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague to prosecute serious human rights violations.
• Landmark Prosecutions: The ICTY was the first tribunal of its kind since the Nuremberg trials. It indicted 161 individuals, including high-ranking officials.
• Defining Sexual Violence as a War Crime: The ICTY was groundbreaking in several ways:
  • It was the first international criminal court to prosecute sexual violence under the banner of war crimes.
  • It defined sexual violence not just as an individual act but as part of a systematic policy of war crimes.
  • It was the first to prosecute acts of sexual violence against men, differentiating by gender.
• Impact on Justice: The ICTY provided judges and prosecutors with a strong tool to determine individual responsibility for war crimes.
• Case of Dushko Tadich: The trial of Dushko Tadich, a Bosnian Serb politician, was the first before the ICTY. His crimes included torture, murder, and rape. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The court heard disturbing details of prisoners being forced into sexual acts with each other.

Bosnia: Survivors Seeking Justice and Recognition

• Medica Zenica: This organization, founded by psychologist Sabia Husich, has been instrumental in supporting survivors of sexual violence in Bosnia, including men.
• Challenges for Male Survivors: In a patriarchal society like Bosnia, men have historically found it extremely difficult to speak about experiences of sexual violence.
• Gina Bashic's Story: Gina Bashic, a former Bosnian army soldier, was abducted by Serbian military police and taken to an improvised prison. He was stripped naked, beaten, and subjected to anal rape with a military spade. He was chained to a radiator for three days and raped multiple times.
• Psychological Impact: Gina experienced severe anxiety and recurring traumatic memories. He struggled to talk about his ordeal, even with his young son.
• Legal Recognition: With the help of Medica Zenica, Gina was eventually recognized as a civilian victim of the war, a process that took three years due to the complex bureaucratic system.
• Lack of Compensation: Despite legal recognition, few survivors in Bosnia have received promised compensation funds.
• Denial of War Crimes: Serbian nationalists continue to deny war crimes committed during the Bosnian War, despite extensive evidence. This hinders broader societal acknowledgment and compensation for survivors.

The Role of Societal Norms and Masculinity

• Destruction of Masculinity: Sexual violence is designed to degrade men and destroy their sense of masculinity.
• Loss of Control and Shame: The physical arousal experienced during rape, even against one's will, is deeply humiliating and can lead to self-blame and accusations of enjoying the act.
• Fear of Homosexuality: In societies where homosexuality is stigmatized, male rape survivors may fear being labeled as homosexual, leading to further isolation and danger.
• Pre-war Practices: Violence against men, including sexual violence, is often rooted in pre-war societal structures like boarding schools and the military, where it's used to consolidate hierarchy and assert dominance.

The Russian Context: Prison Culture and State-Sanctioned Violence

• Systematic Torture in Russian Prisons: Human rights activists have documented a pattern of torture and rape within the Russian penal system.
• Mirroring in Ukraine: Prosecutor Anna Sonska notes that the systematic sexual torture inflicted on Ukrainian prisoners by Russian forces mirrors practices within Russian prisons, including electric shocks to genitals, beatings, and threats of castration.
• "Cast System" in Prisons: Russian prisons operate on a hierarchical "cast system" of masters and subordinates, where subordinates are dehumanized. This culture of inhumanity is then applied to enemies.
• Military Violence: Torture and sexual violence are also directed against Russian soldiers themselves, both in peacetime and wartime, as a norm.

Seeking Help and the Challenges for Survivors

• Bureaucratic Hurdles: Survivors, especially men, face immense challenges navigating bureaucratic systems to seek help.
• Mutual Support Networks: Alexi Sebach founded a network of Ukrainian men who survived imprisonment and torture to campaign for the release of those still held in Russian prisons and to support each other.
• Justice vs. Revenge: Alexi emphasizes that his goal is justice, not revenge, seeking the release of all tortured individuals and the prosecution of perpetrators.
• UN Report on POW Abuse: A 2024 UN report indicates a significant difference in the extent of prisoner of war abuse between Ukraine and Russia, with no concrete evidence of systematic abuse of Russian POWs in Ukraine, while Russian authorities have systematically used sexual violence.

Broader Implications and the Path Forward

• Shared Experiences: Survivors from Bosnia, Congo, and Ukraine are breaking their silence, highlighting the universal pain, shame, and stigmatization associated with sexual violence, regardless of location.
• Legal Gaps: Many war-torn countries, like the Democratic Republic of Congo, lack robust legal mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable. In Uganda, discriminatory legislation often fails to recognize male rape.
• Need for Legal Reform: Laws need to be broadened to explicitly include male rape, and humanitarian actors must allocate resources to support male survivors.
• Ongoing Investigations: Reports of sexual violence are emerging from various conflicts, including Gaza, with accusations against both Hamas and Israel.
• The Importance of Speaking Out: Despite the fear of stigmatization and discrimination, more survivors are sharing their stories, contributing to a growing understanding and demand for accountability.

Conclusion

The video powerfully illustrates that sexual violence is a pervasive and devastating weapon of war, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, including men. The experiences of survivors in Ukraine, Congo, and Bosnia underscore the profound physical and psychological scars left by such violence. While international tribunals have made strides in recognizing sexual violence as a war crime, significant challenges remain in holding perpetrators accountable, providing adequate support to survivors, and overcoming societal stigma and legal barriers. The ongoing efforts of survivors to break their silence and the work of organizations supporting them are crucial steps towards achieving justice and preventing future atrocities.