A roadmap for the CRSV cases has been prepared for the advocates

The UNBA Committee on gender policy has prepared a Roadmap for cases of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.

The publication outlines the main stages of providing legal assistance — from the initial contact with the victim to the conclusion of criminal proceedings, the exercise of the right to compensation for damages and the use of international protection mechanisms.

The document details the key elements of conflict-related sexual violence and the indicators linking the crime to an armed conflict. A separate section is devoted to the possible legal classification of conflict-related sexual violence as a war crime under Article 438 of the Criminal Code, a crime against humanity under Article 442-1 of the Criminal Code, or genocide under Article 442 of the Criminal Code. The provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions are examined.

For each stage, the objectives, tasks, a checklist of actions, and common mistakes are provided. At the same time, the Roadmap does not establish a rigid algorithm of actions and does not replace the advocate’s professional judgment.

During the initial contact, the advocate is advised to agree on the pace of communication, assess security risks, ascertain the minimum facts necessary for urgent decisions, and obtain consent to provide legal representation and collect information.

The section on documentation covers the preservation of medical, physical, and digital evidence, original files and their metadata, as well as adherence to the chain of custody. It then outlines the advocate’s actions during the reporting of a criminal offense, the pretrial investigation, and court proceedings. Specifically, it addresses ensuring the victim’s safety, special interrogation procedures, minimizing repeated contact with law enforcement agencies, closed-door court proceedings, remote participation, and preventing gender stereotypes.

After the conclusion of the proceedings, the Roadmap recommends verifying the grounds for recognizing a person as a victim of a serious, complex, and large-scale crime, preparing documents for an immediate cash payment, and assessing the feasibility of submitting an application to the Register of Damages for Ukraine. It also describes the options available through the International Criminal Court, UN documentation mechanisms, and international compensation mechanisms.

This material was prepared by Valentina Slobodyanyuk – secretary of the UNBA Committee on gender policy. The Roadmap is available at this link.