World

Rape is not a crime in most of the world, UN says

by mardoux | March 8, 2007 at 11:24 am

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This is a shocking notion to me, as a North American and a citizen of the world. That the laws are poorly enforced is one thing, but the fact that only 104 in 192 countries (54%!) have even recognized rape as a crime is very startling. Hopefully the UN's announcement will bring this crisis to light and spur some action.

UNITED NATIONS, March 7 (Reuters) - Rape is weapon of war and the world fails to treat it as a crime, two U.N. agencies said on Wednesday as the Security Council called for justice for women and girls who are victims of violence.

The U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that while 104 out of 192 countries in the world had made rape a crime, these laws were poorly enforced.

"The violence that women experience in times of peace is exacerbated during conflict: rape is being used as a weapon of war on a large scale," UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer told a news conference. "Women's and girls' bodies have become the battleground."

The Security Council called for an end to impunity for gender-based violence during armed conflict and the inclusion of sexual and other violent acts against women and girls in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes prosecutions.