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50 INTERNATIONAL AWEMainta Diabierna, 29 September 2023

Colombia’s War Crimes Tribunal Launches

Investigation into Gender-Related War Crimes

olombia’s war crimes tribunal, known as the Special Ju-
Crisdiction for Peace (JEP), has officially initiated an in-

vestigation into gender-related crimes that occurred dur-
ing the country’s prolonged armed conflict. This significant
step comes nearly a year and a half after the tribunal made
a commitment to address this critical issue.

The JEP’s investigation into gender-based violence will
primarily focus on heinous crimes of hate and discrimina-
tion, particularly those directed at women and members of

the LGBTQ+ community, perpetrated by both the military
and the now-disbanded guerrilla group FARC. This compre-
hensive inquiry aims to shed light on the motives and under-
lying dynamics that fueled these atrocities.

During a press conference, JEP magistrate Lily Andrea Rueda
urged victim organizations to collaborate by providing valu- ideologies that drove armed organizations to commit such
able information regarding gender-based violence. Rueda grievous offenses.

emphasized the importance of this collaboration due to
significant underreporting and information gaps that the In the process of preparing for this criminal investigation,
tribunal has encountered concerning these crimes. the JEP identified a staggering 35,168 victims of sexual
Furthermore, Rueda called upon social organizations to violence and other gender-related crimes spanning the

continue their vital support for victims of sexual violence period from 1957 to 2016. Astonishingly, more than 89% of
while the court meticulously investigates the violence that these victims were women. Shockingly, 34% of these indi-
disproportionately targeted women and LGBTQ+ individuals. viduals endured sexual violence before reaching adulthood.

Importantly, this investigation transcends the examination The JEP’s findings indicate that paramilitary groups were
of specific acts or crimes; it delves into the motivations and allegedly responsible for over 33% of the recorded cases of
gender-based violence. The now-demobilized FARC group
was linked to 5% of these victims, while 3% of the cases

were attributed to state officials. In nearly 30% of the cases,
the tribunal faced challenges in immediately associating
gender-based crimes with specific armed actors.

Tragically, approximately 67% of the documented victims
of gender-based violence experienced forced displacement
due to their sex, gender, or sexual orientation. Furthermore,
20% of these victims endured the harrowing ordeal of sexual

violence.

The JEP’s inquiry into gender-related violence will encom-
100
pass war crimes that are not currently under investigation,
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including those that occurred in severely affected regions.
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This critical endeavor by the JEP underscores its commit-
ment to addressing historical injustices and providing a
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platform for the voices of victims who have suffered from
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gender-based violence during Colombia’s tumultuous
0
history of armed conflict.

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