Canada will help investigate Russian military sexual violence
Ottawa –
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Canada would help investigate cases of sexual violence by the Russian military against women and girls in Ukraine.
Speaking in Ottawa after talks with Ann Linde, Swedish Foreign Minister Joly said RCMP officers helping to investigate war crimes in Ukraine will also collect evidence of rapes by Russian troops. .
Both ministers said that sexual violence, used as a weapon of war in Ukraine, must not be ignored and that support should be given to women fleeing to neighboring countries who may have been raped and abused. use.
Joly said Canada has provided 10 RCMP officers to help gather evidence of possible war crimes in Ukraine that could be used in a case at the International Criminal Court.
Linde says it’s important that experts investigating sexual violence against women are part of an international team investigating war crimes.
Joly also said Canada would support Sweden’s entry into NATO. The country said it was interested in joining the military alliance after Russia invaded Ukraine.
This Canadian Press report was first published on May 5, 2022.