Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s Rights

After a historical reconstruction of the crime of sexual assault in conflict and of its evolution in international criminal law, done by exploring the definition of sexual violence and the conditions and rules for prosecuting the crime, this article adds another vantage point to the thorny issue of...

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Main Author: Megan Nobert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ubiquity Press 2012-01-01
Series:Tilburg Law Review
Subjects:
Online Access:https://tilburglawreview.com/articles/10
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author Megan Nobert
author_facet Megan Nobert
author_sort Megan Nobert
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description After a historical reconstruction of the crime of sexual assault in conflict and of its evolution in international criminal law, done by exploring the definition of sexual violence and the conditions and rules for prosecuting the crime, this article adds another vantage point to the thorny issue of tying the effects of sexual assault to human rights. By arguing that the non-prosecution of sexual violence results in a violation of women’s rights, the author proposes another level of protection under international law invoking the 'Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter: CEDAW)'. First, as the author has narrowed the focus of her article to female victims, the sexual assault can be considered a gender based crime of which non-prosecution may be discriminatory; the author examines whether this hypothesis is a violation of women’s freedom from discrimination under Article 1 of CEDAW. Second, as sexual assault in conflicts often leaves women with very serious health problems, this paper examines whether these effects of the crime are a violation of women’s right to health under Article 12 of CEDAW. This author will now use CEDAW to prove another level of violation on the part of the international community. If one can prove that non-prosecution of sexual violence is a violation of CEDAW - under international human rights law - States will have a further obligation to cease this internationally wrongful act.
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spelling doaj.art-89d019baf4a74d3487104cbee4b3cd7c2022-12-22T01:04:07ZengUbiquity PressTilburg Law Review2211-25452012-01-011716310310.1163/221125912X6350104Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s RightsMegan Nobert0PhD Researcher at Tilburg University, The NetherlandsAfter a historical reconstruction of the crime of sexual assault in conflict and of its evolution in international criminal law, done by exploring the definition of sexual violence and the conditions and rules for prosecuting the crime, this article adds another vantage point to the thorny issue of tying the effects of sexual assault to human rights. By arguing that the non-prosecution of sexual violence results in a violation of women’s rights, the author proposes another level of protection under international law invoking the 'Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter: CEDAW)'. First, as the author has narrowed the focus of her article to female victims, the sexual assault can be considered a gender based crime of which non-prosecution may be discriminatory; the author examines whether this hypothesis is a violation of women’s freedom from discrimination under Article 1 of CEDAW. Second, as sexual assault in conflicts often leaves women with very serious health problems, this paper examines whether these effects of the crime are a violation of women’s right to health under Article 12 of CEDAW. This author will now use CEDAW to prove another level of violation on the part of the international community. If one can prove that non-prosecution of sexual violence is a violation of CEDAW - under international human rights law - States will have a further obligation to cease this internationally wrongful act.https://tilburglawreview.com/articles/10sexual assaultsexual violencehuman rightswomen’s rightsCEDAWinternational criminal lawprosecution
spellingShingle Megan Nobert
Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s Rights
Tilburg Law Review
sexual assault
sexual violence
human rights
women’s rights
CEDAW
international criminal law
prosecution
title Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s Rights
title_full Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s Rights
title_fullStr Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s Rights
title_full_unstemmed Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s Rights
title_short Creating International Responsibility: The Non-Prosecution of Sexual Violence Post Conflict as a Violation of Women’s Rights
title_sort creating international responsibility the non prosecution of sexual violence post conflict as a violation of women s rights
topic sexual assault
sexual violence
human rights
women’s rights
CEDAW
international criminal law
prosecution
url https://tilburglawreview.com/articles/10
work_keys_str_mv AT megannobert creatinginternationalresponsibilitythenonprosecutionofsexualviolencepostconflictasaviolationofwomensrights