Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations (UN) in Vietnam onMarch 21 launched a study on the criminal justice system response to sexualviolence in Thailand and Vietnam, shedding new light on discrimination againstrape victims.

The study, “The Trial of Rape: Understanding thecriminal justice system response to sexual violence in Thailand and Vietnam”,is the first such comparative study in the Asia-Pacific region. It wasconducted by the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Office on Drugs andCrime (UNODC).

Opening the launch in Hanoi, UN ResidentCoordinator in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra emphasised that institutional responsesto violence against women need to be tailored to the particular and diverseneeds and priorities of women and girls. 

“Along with efforts to prevent violence in thefirst place, the justice sector’s response will be critical to ending the cycleof violence. It needs to send out a clear and unequivocal message that anyviolence against women and girls is unacceptable,” he said, noting that justiceproviders play a vital role in keeping women and girls safe, and holdingperpetrators accountable.

Anna-Karin Jatfors, Deputy Regional Director ofUN Women’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, who presented the report,said the study found that there are pervasive barriers to justice for survivorsof sexual assault that stem from not only difficulties in getting assistance,but also in the attitudes and biases of the police and justice officials taskedwith providing assistance. 

Understanding what the barriers to justice areis a crucial first step to delivering justice to women and ending thewidespread impunity in sexual violence, she added.

The study found that most of victims in Thailandand Vietnam face a number of difficulties and challenges in accessing justice,which is partly attributable to attitude and discrimination. Those difficultiesand challenges discourage victims from seeking assistance and make them feel humiliatedin all stages of the criminal justice process, from initial reporting stage tothe trial stage.

The findings of this study reveal that the mainfactors in reported cases of rape contradict numerous commonly held myths andbeliefs about rape. While there is a myth that “real rape” involves strangers,force, physical injury and occurs in public, 86 percent of victims reportedknowing the suspect and 76 percent of victims had no visible signs of injury inVietnam. These findings have important implications for how justice systemshandle sexual crimes and interact with victims of sexual violence. 

A key strength of the study is the substantialengagement from the Governments of Thailand and Vietnam in the research, whichimproves the shared understanding of the barriers in the administration ofjustice, and where to focus efforts to address them.

Based on these findings, the study gives severalrecommendations, including establishing quality essential justice services forvictims that prioritise their safety, protection and support; and promoting anintegrated and coordinated criminal justice, government and civil societyresponse.-VNA