Rape: A Crime of War

It has been estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 rapes were committed during fighting in the former Yugoslavia. From the perspective of victims, prosecutors and perpetrators, we are drawn into the horrors of rape as a weapon of war. Four women tell their story of forced confinement, rape and degradation in Bosnia and share how their experiences have influenced their perceptions of their partners, their children, society as a whole, and themselves. The rapists claim that they were acting upon a higher authority. Legal consultants at The Hague where the International Tribunal is investigating war crimes, discuss the implications of the trial of a former camp boss, the first person to be indicted for rape as a war crime. Interviews and archival footage of war crimes hearings in Nuremberg, Nanking, Bosnia and Rwanda are interspersed with images of Western art and culture which have romanticized, eroticized and legitimized rape. Due to the sensitive nature of this video, previewing is recommended.