By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The UN representative stressed that impunity should never be the norm and perpetrators in cases of sexual violence should be brought to justice.

The United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten expressed deep concern on Monday over the meddling of some Israeli officials in the ongoing investigations of reports of sexual violence by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian detainees.   

“I am particularly concerned about recent attempts by some Israeli political actors, to interfere with ongoing justice processes and/or to justify the use of these methods. Sexual violence and sexualized torture in detention settings must never be normalized.” Patten noted.

The UN representative urged Tel Aviv to allow full access to its detention facilities in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories including Gaza by international organizations.

She also called for independent and full investigations by “relevant and competent UN bodies into all these alleged violations in order to bring all perpetrators, regardless of rank or affiliation, to justice.”

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The UN representative stressed that impunity should never be the norm and perpetrators in cases of sexual violence should be brought to justice.

“Impunity emboldens perpetrators, silences victims and undermines prospects for peace. Perpetrators of such heinous crimes must be held accountable and justice must be served”, Patten emphasized.

The UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict demanded a “prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and effective investigations into all alleged violations.”

Patten voiced her concern over recent UN published reports including that of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on sexual violence and the significant deterioration of detention conditions for Palestinian men, women and children detained since since October 7.

“These very disturbing reports of sexual violence and other inhuman and degrading treatment could amount to sexualized torture, perpetrated against Palestinian men and women and include widespread sexual slurs and threats of rape and gang rape,” she stressed.

According to Patten, the sexual violations also include “repeated and humiliating strip searches and prolonged forced nudity, beatings and electrocution of genitals and anus, insertion of objects into detainees’ anuses, inappropriate touching of women by both male and female soldiers, and photographing or filming of naked or partially undressed detainees in humiliating positions.”

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The UN official emphasized that sexual violence in any form and in any setting but particularly in detention setting, constitutes a “grave violation of human rights and human dignity.”

She stressed the significance of “upholding international human rights standards and ensuring that detention conditions strictly conform with international norms and standards,” quoting the case of the Palestinian detainee who was hospitalized with severe injuries in July due to sexual violence inflicted on him by Israeli occupation soldiers at the notorious Sde Teiman detention facility.

The UN official voiced her concern over the limited number of probes that are underway versus the number of complaints received and called on providing much-needed medical and psychological support to victims to begin the healing process.

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Sexual Abuse 

Patten’s statements conform with others made by the UN special rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, who has condemned the sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers at the Sde Teiman detention center.

“This alleged sexual torture involving multiple offenders is particularly gruesome,” Edwards said on August 16. 

“There are no circumstances in which sexual torture or sexualized inhuman and degrading treatment can be justified.”

Leaked footage from surveillance cameras showed the detainee being picked out from a group of about 30 others lying bound and blindfolded on the ground. The detainee is then escorted to a corner where guards, trying to hide their act with shields, proceed to rape him.

Moreover, a recent report published by the B’Tselem Israeli human rights group titled ‘Welcome to Hell’ documented testimonies from 55 Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli detention facilities.

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The report indicates “a systemic, institutional policy focused on the continual abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.”

The report documented frequent acts of severe, arbitrary violence; sexual assault; humiliation and degradation, deliberate starvation; forced unhygienic conditions; sleep deprivation, prohibition on, and punitive measures for, religious worship; confiscation of all communal and personal belongings; and denial of adequate medical treatment.

The organization said “no less than 60” Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli custody.

The Israeli army has arrested thousands of Palestinians from different areas across the Gaza Strip. However, Israeli authorities refuse to give an exact number of arrests.

(PC, Anadolu)