UN report urges accountability for conflict-related sexual violence in Sri Lanka

A paper published by the UN Human Rights Office this morning highlights that conflict-related sexual violence in Sri Lanka remains largely unaddressed, with survivors, both men and women, still being denied long-overdue justice.

Titled “We lost everything – even hope for justice”, the Brief is based on a decade of monitoring and reporting by the UN Human Rights Office, and extensive consultations with survivors, local experts on gender-based violence, civil society and others.

It concludes that the Government of Sri Lanka must urgently follow through on its commitment to advance domestic accountability and undertake transformative reforms, with specific attention to this issue.

The document finds that the lack of accountability, acknowledgment and reparations for gross human rights violations and wartime crimes has created a legacy of impunity that continues to shape the lives of survivors today.

Many victims from the conflict which ended in 2009 continue to suffer chronic physical injuries, infertility, psychological breakdowns, and suicidal thoughts.

Survivors and their representatives described an enduring climate of surveillance, intimidation, and harassment, contributing to under-reporting, deep stigma, and the near-absence of effective remedies.

Sexual violence in conflict constitutes a serious violation of international law, which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity. Sri Lanka is legally obligated, under multiple international treaties and commitments, to prevent, investigate, and prosecute such violations and ensure reparation for survivors.

The paper highlights how militarisation and emergency legal frameworks have created an environment in which gender-based violence – including sexual violence – continued to be reported after the conflict.

Beyond the shocking cruelty of the abuses including rape, sexual mutilation, forced nudity and public degradation described by survivors, many felt that such attacks were intended to cause lasting trauma and break down communities.

As one survivor put it: “Sexual violence is a torture that never stops.”

The paper finds that stigma extends to survivors’ families and that children born of rape have been labelled and discriminated against. Communities remain fractured by silence, fear, and unresolved trauma.

It calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate and concrete steps to publicly acknowledge past sexual violence committed by State forces and others, and to issue a formal apology. It should also implement survivor-centred reforms across the security sector, judiciary and the legal framework, establish an independent prosecution office, and ensure access to psychological and social support. 

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk says recognition, truth, accountability, and reparations are critical to restoring dignity to survivors, and advancing reconciliation and healing in Sri Lanka.

To read the full paper, click here