Hidden Deaths of Libyan Rape Survivors: Rape Casualties Should Be Considered Wounded Combatants Rather Than Mere Victims of Sexual Violence

Abstract

Wartime rape is a persistent and brutal aspect of conflict, whether during or in the aftermath of hostilities. In the recent warfare in Libya, as well as in most civil and international armed conflicts, women were subjected to different forms of visible and invisible violence, including sexual exploitation and abuse. However, the most recent news reports reveal that the wartime rape of women and minors in Libya was systematic and adopted by Moammar Gadhafi's troops on a massive scale and as a strategic weapon of war, leaving thousands of physically and psychologically devastated women. It has been reported that Gadhafi himself had ordered the supply of anti-impotence drugs given to his soldiers and authorized them to rape Libyan opponent women in a brutal continuing campaign.

Keywords: wartime rape, wartime sexual violence, gender-based crimes, transitional justice, war crimes, crimes against humanity, international human rights law, Libya