ON MONDAY, for the first time in the history of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it convicted a defendant for sexual and gender-based crimes. The defendant was Jean-Pierre Bemba, former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who was charged for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his involvement in the Central African Republic (CAR) conflict.While most of the testimonies were from women, this was also the first time in the history of international criminal law that sexual violence against men has been defined in law as the crime of rape. Previously, the rape of men has been addressed internationally as a crime of torture, outrage upon personal dignity or cruel treatment. This conviction represents a critical juncture in a long and reprehensible history of regarding sexual violence as an unfortunate byproduct of war.In the Nuremberg Trials, perpetrators were not prosecuted despite evidence of sexual violence. The International Criminal Tribunals for Y...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.