Prosecuting Sexual Violence in Conflict: Lessons from International Criminal Tribunals

Over the past two decades, international criminal tribunals have adopted groundbreaking judgments convicting individuals for rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage committed during armed conflict and genocide in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere. At the same time, these tribunals have had some very public setbacks, with sexual violence cases dismissed, charges acquitted, and investigations failed. What lessons can be learned from these experiences that can inform future cases at the International Criminal Court and other tribunals?

This session will feature a keynote address by Michelle Jarvis, Deputy to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), on her new book, “Prosecuting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence at the ICTY”. Responses will be provided by Linda Bianchi (formerly of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, now Department of Justice) and Valerie Oosterveld (Western Law) on whether the ICTY’s lessons can be applied on a global scale.

The event is co-organized by Mark Kersten and Professor Valerie Oosterveld.

Professor Oosterveld will give a presentation on “Prosecuting Sexual Violence at the Special Court for Sierra Leone: Early Decisions and Future Outcomes”.