Victims of sexual violence by the occupiers will receive reparations: details

Urgent interim reparations – a one-time monetary aid – are planned to be paid to Ukrainians who were sexually abused by the occupiers.

The amount of reparations is 3 thousand euros. The pilot phase of the project will start on April 15 and will last until the end of October 2024.

She told about it Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna during conference “Restoring the rights of victims of conflict-related sexual violence: an element of peace and global security”.

“Together with the Global Fund for Survivors of Violence and the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality, we initiated the development and implementation of a pilot project of urgent interim reparations for victims of sexual violence during the conflict.

We have developed a system for the formation of such reparations, which provides for the identification of victims, the identification of cases, the adoption of decisions on compliance with the criteria, and the payment of interim compensations. We are forming a very serious basis for the further restoration of justiceStefanishyna said.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that justice should not have time limits, and survivors need support now, not after the end of the war.

Therefore, within the framework of the first phase of this project, one-time interim compensation will be provided to the victims.

“On February 29, we officially started this project, held the first meetings. From March 1 to March 31, 40 victims will undergo proceduresnecessary in order to obtain the corresponding statuses and the first intermediate reparations”, said the Deputy Prime Minister.

For the implementation of this project, a supervisory board was created, whose duties are the review and approval of documents, as well as the formation of statistical information on confirmed cases of sexual violence during the war.

Government officials and human rights defenders are working on an interim reparations project with the Office of the Attorney General, which directly investigates such crimes, and with the Ministry of Justice, which is creating a registry of damages.

Olena Zelenska also supported the initiative.

“To recover, you need a resource. This applies both to the country and to individuals. Victims of wartime sexual violence cannot wait for “classic” reparations when the war ends or when Russia agrees to pay reparations. It is necessary to act immediately.” said the First Lady.

She noted that more and more victims dare to speak about the violence they experienced. As of March 4, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine is already conducting 274 cases of sexual violence committed by the Russian occupiers.

However, there are many more victims.

Reparations are not only economic support for them, but also a step towards restoring justice, explained the First Lady.

“Until an international compensation mechanism is created and the confiscated assets of Russia are not directed to the support of Ukraine, appropriate assistance from partner countries is very important to us“, Zelenska added.

We will remind, at the beginning of the great war The Ministry of Internal Affairs together with La Strada-Ukraine have developed an instruction for victims of sexual violence.

The Euromaidan SOS organization also developed a memorial for people who experienced or witnessed sexual violence during the war.