Duchess of Edinburgh requires justice for wartime-rape victims

The Duchess of Edinburgh has called for justice for victims of wartime sexual violence following her visit to Ukraine.

Sophie, 59, last month became the first member of the royal family to visit the country since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Her visit to Kyiv, which is understood to have been at the request of the Foreign Office, aimed to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children who have been impacted by Putin‘s war.

The Duchess, after listening to survivors of sexual violence bravely share their stories, condemned the ‘heinous crimes‘ that are being used to ‘demean, destroy and control’ citizens, The Daily Telegraph reported.

She argued that during war ‘women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs’ and called for more prevention safeguards to be put in place, as well as measures to support victims of sexual violence.

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, called for justice for victims of wartime sexual violence while speaking at a reception at the home of Martin Harris, UK ambassador to Ukraine, in Kyiv on April 29, 2024 (pictured)

Sophie , 59, last month became the first member of the royal family to visit the country since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. She and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Martin Harris are pictured visiting the Car Cemetery on April 29, 2024 in Irpin, Ukraine

‘Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy. And we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening,’ Sophie reportedly said while speaking at a reception at the home of Martin Harris, UK ambassador to Ukraine, on April 29.

‘Where we cannot prevent it from happening, what we must do is put measures in place to support those who have fallen victim to such crimes.’ 

The Duchess, who announced her commitment to champion survivors of conflict related sexual violence in 2019, said that while ‘others in positions of leadership engage with the politics of war’ she aims to put ‘conflict-related sexual violence on the table as a devastating consequence’.

Sophie’s visit to Ukraine saw her meet with survivors of sexual violence, both male and female, as well as well as female IDPs – internally displaced persons – and volunteers who help their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion.

She also met with children who have now been safely returned to Ukraine, after being forcibly separated from their families and deported by Russia as part of a sustained campaign to erase Ukrainian culture.

During her speech, Sophie added that in a world with ‘so many current and threatening crises’ it is ‘my hope is that where conflict does occur more consideration is given to creating well-funded early systems of support for survivors and those who have been internally displaced’.

She called for accessible medical and psychological interventions and a ‘collation of evidence for future prosecutions and the de-stigmatisation of victims’.

Sophie travelled to Kyiv at the request of the Foreign Office. The visit saw her spend time with Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska. The pair are pictured together on April 29, 2024

Sophie is understood to have delivered a letter from King Charles III to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president is pictured greeting Sophie ahead of their talks in Kyiv on April 29, 2024

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Martin Harris, left, visit the Romanivska Bridge in the town of Irpin on Monday, April 29, 2024 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Sophie and children look at an Ukrainian flag as she visits the Family centre Save Ukraine in the Irpin town on April 29, 2024

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine, Martin Harris, visit the UNFPA office to meet with war victims in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 29, 2024

Sophie travelled to Kyiv at the request of the Foreign Office. The visit saw her deliver a letter from the King to President Volodymyr Zelensky and spend time with Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska.

Meeting with President Zelensky and First Lady Zelenska, Sophie discussed how to best to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and the women peacebuilders who have a vital part to play in ensuring Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction is effective and long-lasting. 

She also paid her respects to those who lost their lives in Bucha, two years on from its liberation from Russian forces, and visited the ‘Road to Life’, a bridge which became a key part of the Ukrainian resistance when it was blown up to stop Russian troops proceeding to Kyiv and later became a vital route for people to flee to safety from the Russian occupation. 

Buckingham Palace last month issued a statement about the visit, saying: ‘Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh is visiting Ukraine at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war and in a continuation of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

‘Her Royal Highness this morning met the President and First Lady of Ukraine and delivered a message to them on behalf of His Majesty The King.’

Since 2022, the UK has pledged over £4.7billion in non-military support to Ukraine. 

The Duchess of Edinburgh (second right) and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Martin Harris (right) visit the memorial to the victims of the Russian occupation in the town of Bucha on April 29, 2024

Sophie meets with children as she visits the Family center of the NGO “Save Ukraine” in the town of Irpin on April 29, 2024 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Duchess of Edinburgh (left) and Olena Zelenska, (right) wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, talk during their visit the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on April 29, 2024

Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska (left) and Britain’s Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (right), visiting the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on April 29, 2024

This includes over £660million of bilateral assistance that prioritises the needs of women and girls, for example by funding vital services for survivors of Gender Based Violence, as well as working with the Office of the Prosecutor General to put survivors at the centre of approaches to prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence crimes.

The UK is also working with international partners to hold those responsible for atrocities to account.

Sophie announced her commitment to UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the UN’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda on International Women’s Day in 2019.

She has visited several countries – including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia – since then as part of her initiative to champion the cause.