As millions of Ukrainian refugees flood into Poland, Polish reproductive rights organisations are reporting mounting allegations of rape by Russian forces as requests to access abortions and emergency contraceptives grow. Read more:
This article contains references to sexual violence.
Working around the clock to navigate some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, Ms Kacpura managed to organise emergency contraceptives to be brought to the teenagers.“I provided them with the help of gynecologists just to check if everything is alright before they went to the airport [to fly to their next destination.]Ms Kacpura says this is not an isolated case, but rather one that is under-reported as millions of Ukrainian refugees cross the border and face Poland’s strict laws.
“[Ukrainian refugees] didn't expect such a situation, because in Ukraine, there is a very liberal law on abortion,” Ms Kacpura said.Krystyna Kacpura is the President of the Foundation for Women and Family Planning , which is a Polish non-government organisation. Image digitally altered.
“When there's a lack of availability of services for survivors of any kind of violence, it leads to a decrease in reporting.”Katherine Fallah, a barrister at Sydney law firm Maurice Byers Chambers with a PhD in international law, says sexual violence is very common across most conflicts. “The issue rose to prominence in international law in the context of the Rwandan and Yugoslavian conflicts,” she says.
The report determined that the self-proclaimed Islamic State's abuse of Yazidis amounted to crimes against humanity and war crimes.In early June, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council that allegations of sexual violence by Russian troops in Ukraine are growing, describing it as a ‘hidden crime.’
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