The UN expert working to eliminate rape during wartime has been
invited to Israel by the Government to gather information on
sexual violence reportedly committed in the context of the 7
October Hamas attacks and their aftermath.
Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, will also visit
the occupied West Bank, where she will meet with the Palestinian
Authority, civil society organizations, recently released
detainees and other relevant actors.
The visit is set to start on Monday and will conclude in early
February.
Giving voice to survivors
“The mission of the Special Representative aims to give voice to
survivors, witnesses, recently released hostages and those
affected, to identify avenues for support, including justice and
accountability, and to gather, analyze and verify information to
inform reporting to the Security Council in the
exercise of her mandate,” her office said in a
statement on Thursday.
It is “neither intended nor mandated to be investigative in
nature, a mandate which is vested in other entities of the United
Nations system, which have expressed their willingness and
availability to investigate.”
The mission will include a technical component to gather, analyze
and verify relevant information regarding allegations of conflict
related sexual violence.
In this regard, Ms. Patten will be accompanied by technical
experts with expertise in safe and ethical interviewing of
victims and witnesses of sexual violence, on the interpretation
of medical and forensic information and on the analysis of open
source and digital information.
“The scope and parameters of the visit have been discussed with
the relevant authorities with an understanding reached that such
a visit is contingent on the ability to operate impartially and
independently, which includes unimpeded and confidential access
to relevant interlocutors and information,” the statement
said.
