Våldtäkt som krigsvapen – En studie om våldtäktsbrottets definition och dess reglering i väpnade konflikter sedan 1900-talet, med särskilt fokus på rättsfallen Akayesu, Furundžija och Kunarac
(2024) LAGF03 20242Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Denna uppsats har klargjort utvecklingen av våldtäktsdefinitionen och det
rättsliga skyddet mot våldtäkter i väpnade konflikter sedan 1900-talet. En
rättsdogmatisk metod har använts med betoning på folkrättens rättskällelära,
där två centrala frågeställningar har granskats. Denna studie har utrett gällande rätt, inklusive tre banbrytande rättsfall: Akayesu, Furundžija och
Kunarac.
Uppfattningen av sexuellt våld, särskilt våldtäkt, har genomgått en signifikant
transformation. Sedan 1900-talet har våldtäkt gått från att betraktas som ett
brott mot familjens heder, till att erkännas som ett allvarligt folkrättsbrott som
kan orsaka svåra fysiska och psykiska skador för offren. Trots att Genèvekonventionerna från 1949 och deras... (More) - Denna uppsats har klargjort utvecklingen av våldtäktsdefinitionen och det
rättsliga skyddet mot våldtäkter i väpnade konflikter sedan 1900-talet. En
rättsdogmatisk metod har använts med betoning på folkrättens rättskällelära,
där två centrala frågeställningar har granskats. Denna studie har utrett gällande rätt, inklusive tre banbrytande rättsfall: Akayesu, Furundžija och
Kunarac.
Uppfattningen av sexuellt våld, särskilt våldtäkt, har genomgått en signifikant
transformation. Sedan 1900-talet har våldtäkt gått från att betraktas som ett
brott mot familjens heder, till att erkännas som ett allvarligt folkrättsbrott som
kan orsaka svåra fysiska och psykiska skador för offren. Trots att Genèvekonventionerna från 1949 och deras tilläggsprotokoll från 1977 stadgar att
kvinnor ska skyddas från sexuellt våld, definieras inte våldtäkt som en krigsförbrytelse.
Efter rapporter om de omfattande våldtäkterna i Rwanda 1994, upprättade
FN:s säkerhetsråd en ad hoc-tribunal för att ställa gärningsmännen inför rätta.
I denna studie har rättsfallet Akayesu från 1998 utfärdat av Tribunalen analyserats. Detta var det första målet vid en internationell domstol där sexuellt
våld klassificerades som både folkmord och ett brott mot mänskligheten. Utfallet blev att alla stater fick jurisdiktion att åtala våldtäkter i väpnade konflikter. I rättsfallet etablerades en bred definition av våldtäkt som inkluderade
handlingar som tidigare fallit utanför våldtäktsdefinitionens gränser.
Vid konflikten i det forna Jugoslavien (1992–1995) begicks systematiska
våldtäkter. Även här skapade FN:s säkerhetsråd en ad hoc-tribunal för att
ställa gärningsmännen inför rätta. I denna studie har rättsfallet Furundžija från
1998 utfärdat av Tribunalen granskats. Detta var det första målet för krigsbrott där våldtäkt och sexuellt våld var de enda anklagelserna och som byggde
på åtal om våldtäkter mot ett enskilt offer. I fallet utvidgades definitionen av
våldtäkt till att uttryckligen inkludera orala penetrationer. Även rättsfallet
Kunarac som avgjordes av Tribunalen 2001 har studerats. Detta var det första
målet från denna tribunal som fördömde våldtäkt som ett brott mot mänskligheten. Här betonades för första gången sexuell autonomi som en central faktor
för att kunna avgöra om våldtäkter hade begåtts. Tillsammans har dessa rättsfall bidragit till att skapa en mer inkluderande och extensiv definition av våldtäkt under folkrätten.
Strax före Akayesu-fallet infördes Romstadgan 1998, som fastställer att våldtäkter i väpnade konflikter kan utgöra ett brott mot mänskligheten, en krigsförbrytelse och, indirekt, ett folkmordsbrott. Stadgan möjliggör lagföring för
överträdelser vid Internationella brottmålsdomstolen. Mellan 2000 och 2019
antog FN:s säkerhetsråd flera resolutioner som stärker skyddet för utsatta
kvinnor och bekräftar att sexuellt våld kan utgöra både ett brott mot mänskligheten och folkmord. Dessa resolutioner uppmuntrar också nationella myndigheter att främja ansvarstagandet för sexuellt våld. Vidare bekräftade
ICRC, genom sin studie från 2005 om internationell sedvanerätt, att våldtäkt
är förbjudet i väpnade konflikter. De analyserade rättsfallen har spelat en avgörande roll för att driva fram folkrättens reglering på detta område. (Less) - Abstract
- This thesis has clarified the development of the definition of rape and the legal
protection against rape in armed conflicts since the 1900s. A legal dogmatic
method has been used with an emphasis on the sources of law in international
law, where two central research questions have been reviewed. This study has
examined current law, including three groundbreaking legal cases: Akayesu,
Furundžija and Kunarac.
The perception of sexual violence, especially rape, has undergone a significant transformation. Since the 1900s, rape has gone from being considered as
a crime against the family´s honor, to being recognized as a serious breach of
international law that can cause severe physical and psychological damages
to victims. Although... (More) - This thesis has clarified the development of the definition of rape and the legal
protection against rape in armed conflicts since the 1900s. A legal dogmatic
method has been used with an emphasis on the sources of law in international
law, where two central research questions have been reviewed. This study has
examined current law, including three groundbreaking legal cases: Akayesu,
Furundžija and Kunarac.
The perception of sexual violence, especially rape, has undergone a significant transformation. Since the 1900s, rape has gone from being considered as
a crime against the family´s honor, to being recognized as a serious breach of
international law that can cause severe physical and psychological damages
to victims. Although the Geneva Conventions from 1949 and their Additional
Protocols from 1977 statute that women shall be protected from sexual violence, rape is not defined as a war crime.
After reports of the widespread rapes in Rwanda 1994, the UN Security Council established an ad hoc tribunal to bring the perpetrators to justice. In this
study, the legal case Akayesu from 1998 issued by the Tribunal has been analyzed. This was the first case at an international court where sexual violence
was classified as both genocide and a crime against humanity. The outcome
was that all states gained jurisdiction to prosecute rapes in armed conflicts. In
the legal case, a broad definition of rape was established that included acts
that previously fell outside the boundaries of the definition of rape.
During the conflict in the former Yugoslavia (1992–1995), systematic rapes
were committed. Also here, the UN Security Council created an ad hoc tribunal to bring the perpetrators to justice. In this study the legal case Furundžija
from 1998 issued by the Tribunal has been reviewed. This was the first case
for war crimes where rape and sexual violence were the only accusations and
which was based on charges of rapes against a single victim. In the case, the
definition of rape was extended to explicitly include oral penetrations. Also
the legal case Kunarac which was decided by the Tribunal in 2001 has been
studied. This was the first case from this Tribunal to condemn rape as a crime
against humanity. Here, for the first time, sexual autonomy was emphasized
as a central factor in determining if rapes had been committed. Together, these
cases have contributed to create a more inclusive and extensive definition of
rape under international law.
Shortly before the Akayesu case, the Rome Statute was introduced in 1998,
establishing that rapes in armed conflicts can constitute a crime against humanity, a war crime and, indirectly, a crime of genocide. The Statute allows
for prosecution of violations at the International Criminal Court. Between
2000 and 2019, the UN Security Council adopted several resolutions which
strengthens the protection for vulnerable women and confirms that sexual violence can constitute both a crime against humanity and genocide. These resolutions also encourage national authorities to promote accountability for sexual violence. Furthermore, the ICRC, through its study from 2005 about international custom, confirmed that rape is prohibited in armed conflicts. The
analyzed legal cases have played a decisive role in advancing the regulation
of international law in this area. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9179090
- author
- Karlsson, Melina LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- LAGF03 20242
- year
- 2024
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Folkrätt, public international law, våldtäkt, rape, sexuellt våld, sexual violence, ICTY, ICTR, Akayesu, Furundžija, Kunarac
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9179090
- date added to LUP
- 2025-03-20 14:11:24
- date last changed
- 2025-03-20 14:11:24
@misc{9179090, abstract = {{This thesis has clarified the development of the definition of rape and the legal protection against rape in armed conflicts since the 1900s. A legal dogmatic method has been used with an emphasis on the sources of law in international law, where two central research questions have been reviewed. This study has examined current law, including three groundbreaking legal cases: Akayesu, Furundžija and Kunarac. The perception of sexual violence, especially rape, has undergone a significant transformation. Since the 1900s, rape has gone from being considered as a crime against the family´s honor, to being recognized as a serious breach of international law that can cause severe physical and psychological damages to victims. Although the Geneva Conventions from 1949 and their Additional Protocols from 1977 statute that women shall be protected from sexual violence, rape is not defined as a war crime. After reports of the widespread rapes in Rwanda 1994, the UN Security Council established an ad hoc tribunal to bring the perpetrators to justice. In this study, the legal case Akayesu from 1998 issued by the Tribunal has been analyzed. This was the first case at an international court where sexual violence was classified as both genocide and a crime against humanity. The outcome was that all states gained jurisdiction to prosecute rapes in armed conflicts. In the legal case, a broad definition of rape was established that included acts that previously fell outside the boundaries of the definition of rape. During the conflict in the former Yugoslavia (1992–1995), systematic rapes were committed. Also here, the UN Security Council created an ad hoc tribunal to bring the perpetrators to justice. In this study the legal case Furundžija from 1998 issued by the Tribunal has been reviewed. This was the first case for war crimes where rape and sexual violence were the only accusations and which was based on charges of rapes against a single victim. In the case, the definition of rape was extended to explicitly include oral penetrations. Also the legal case Kunarac which was decided by the Tribunal in 2001 has been studied. This was the first case from this Tribunal to condemn rape as a crime against humanity. Here, for the first time, sexual autonomy was emphasized as a central factor in determining if rapes had been committed. Together, these cases have contributed to create a more inclusive and extensive definition of rape under international law. Shortly before the Akayesu case, the Rome Statute was introduced in 1998, establishing that rapes in armed conflicts can constitute a crime against humanity, a war crime and, indirectly, a crime of genocide. The Statute allows for prosecution of violations at the International Criminal Court. Between 2000 and 2019, the UN Security Council adopted several resolutions which strengthens the protection for vulnerable women and confirms that sexual violence can constitute both a crime against humanity and genocide. These resolutions also encourage national authorities to promote accountability for sexual violence. Furthermore, the ICRC, through its study from 2005 about international custom, confirmed that rape is prohibited in armed conflicts. The analyzed legal cases have played a decisive role in advancing the regulation of international law in this area.}}, author = {{Karlsson, Melina}}, language = {{swe}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Våldtäkt som krigsvapen – En studie om våldtäktsbrottets definition och dess reglering i väpnade konflikter sedan 1900-talet, med särskilt fokus på rättsfallen Akayesu, Furundžija och Kunarac}}, year = {{2024}}, }