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STORY: UN / PATTEN SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICTS PRESSER
TRT: 03:42
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 04 MARCH 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
04 MARCH 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, speakers, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“The mission was a difficult one in terms of what we heard and the details of the most shocking brutality of the attacks by Hamas and other groups that we received. We saw a catalogue of the most extreme and inhumane forms of torture and other horrors. But the mission helped us to better understand the context of the attacks, how it was a coordinated attack by Hamas and other armed groups.”
4. Wide shot, speakers, press room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“With regard to the hostages taken to Gaza. We found clear and convincing information that sexual violence including rape, sexualized, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against captives. And we also have reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those still held in captivity.”
6. Wide shot, speakers, press room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“This finding does not in any way legitimize further violence, but actually reinforces the need for an urgent ceasefire, as continuing this war will not serve to protect hostages from the risk of further sexual violence. And I think on the contrary, for the sake of the hostages, a ceasefire should be a priority.”
8. Wide shot, speakers, press room
9.SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“With regard to Kibbutz Be’eri, I mention Kibbutz Be’eri because it was firstly severely affected by the seventh of October attacks having suffered a significant number of casualties over 10 percent of its population killed, including children, and some 50 people taken hostage to Gaza, some allegations of sexual violence previously reported and highly publicized in the media, were determined by us to be unfounded. And I just give one example referring to the allegation of a pregnant woman whose womb had reportedly been ripped open before she was killed, with her fetus stabbed while still inside her.”
10. Wide shot, speakers, press room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“Coming to my visit to the occupied West Bank, with regard to that visit whose purpose was different considering that we have UN verified information on conflict related sexual violence, which will be as I mentioned, included in the annual report of the Secretary General, we nevertheless received, once was there, from several interlocutors information about cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of Palestinians, men and women in detention, also under the administrative detention, including sexual violence in the forms of invasive body searchers threats of rape and prolonged forced nudity.”
12. Wide shot, speakers, press room
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“I must add that the true prevalence of sexual violence during the seventh of October attacks and the aftermath may take months or years to emerge and may never be fully known given that sexual violence remains a chronically underreported crime in every conflict affected setting due to stigma and fear faced by survivors but also in the context of Israel where many did not survive the sexual violence.”
14. Wide shot, speakers, press room
Following her visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank, Pramila Patten, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict said, “Continuing this war will not serve to protect hostages from the risk of further sexual violence. And I think on the contrary, for the sake of the hostages, a ceasefire should be a priority.”
Addressing the press today (4 Mar) in New York, Patten reported that she and a team of experts had found “clear and convincing information” of rape, and sexualized torture being committed against hostages seized during the 7 October terror attacks.
She added that there are also reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be continuing against those still being held by Hamas and other extremists in the Gaza Strip.
The report from her Office, arose from an official visit to Israel at the invitation of the Government, which included a visit to the occupied West Bank, between 29 January and 14 February.
In the context of the coordinated attack by Hamas and others of 7 October, the UN mission team found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations, including rape and gang rape in at least three locations in southern Israel.
In some locations, the mission said it could not verify reported incidents of rape.
According to Patten, the true extent of sexual violence committed during the 7 October attacks and their aftermath, could “take months or years to emerge and may never be fully known.”
During the mission– which was not investigative in nature – the team conducted 33 meetings with Israeli representatives, examining more than 5,000 photographic images and 50 hours of video footage, and had 34 confidential interviews including with survivors and witnesses of the 7 October attacks, released hostages, first responders and others.
The team also visited the occupied West Bank, where Patten heard concerns raised over “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of Palestinians, men and women, in detention,” including “sexual violence in the form of invasive body searches, threats of rape and prolonged forced nudity.”
The Special Representative echoed the Secretary-General’s call for a humanitarian ceasefire.
She said, “This finding does not in any way legitimize further violence, but actually reinforces the need for an urgent ceasefire, as continuing this war will not serve to protect hostages from the risk of further sexual violence. And I think on the contrary, for the sake of the hostages, a ceasefire should be a priority.”
