Canada is devoting an additional $1 million to help the international community investigate sex crimes allegedly committed by Russian military personnel in Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly explained that Canada would provide additional funds to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to help it investigate sexual violence against women, as well as crimes committed against children.
Ten Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers and Canadian civilian law enforcement experts are helping to investigate war crimes in Ukraine, including sexual violence.
Global Affairs Canada said the extra money could be used to help fund specialized investigations into sexual violence and protect victims who may be witnesses in war crimes cases. Funds can also be used to provide psychological support to victims.
Minister Joly believes it is important that soldiers who have used sexual violence be brought to justice.
“Canada condemns in the strongest terms the use of conflict-related sexual violence and we will continue to work with partners such as the ICC to end impunity for these heinous crimes,” she said. in a press release. And she added: “Those who commit sexual violence in conflict situations must be held accountable. »
At a meeting in Ottawa earlier this month with Ann Linde, Swedish Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly discussed the need to address the use of sexual violence as a criminal weapon of war.
For her part, Minister Linde said that Sweden has sent “sex and gender crime investigation experts” to assist the ICC in its war crimes investigation. They interrogate refugees — “mainly women, girls and children,” she said, as a witness.
On May 2, Ukraine’s Ambassador-designate to Canada, Yulia Kovaliv, told members of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that Ukraine is compiling “horrific documentary evidence” of war crimes. . In particular, she recounted that children have been victims of sexual crimes committed in front of their parents.