Unfortunately, sexual violence is extremely common during wartime. This is a way to intimidate and demoralize the civilian population, which suffers from the consequences of such actions: both physical and moral. What to do was told in the "Break the Circle" organization.
What to do if you have become a victim of sexual violence / Photo: Break the circle
Sexual violence is a flagrant violation not only of human rights, but also of international humanitarian law. This crime falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and has no statute of limitations.
"Save the post and share it with your friends, especially with people who are in the temporarily occupied territory. We hope that you will never need this information, but we believe that it should be at hand just in case," the organization emphasizes.
If you or someone you love has been sexually assaulted, know that you have the right to compensation and help. Do not be silent - report the crime to law enforcement agencies.
If you are in the temporarily occupied territory, report the crime online at https://warcrimes.gov.ua. Also, be sure to seek medical attention as soon as you can—preferably within 72 hours of the crime.
It will also not be superfluous to seek psychotherapeutic help and work through the trauma as soon as possible - for example, to the free online platform "Aurora", whose experts specialize in working with victims of war-related sexual violence.
"Break the Circle" has collected some useful contacts in case you need help or advice:
Government hotline — 1547;
National hotline for prevention of domestic violence, human trafficking and gender discrimination — 116 123 or 0 800 500 335;
24-hour free hotlines - 1500 from a landline or 044 272 15 00 from a mobile phone.
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