Use Of Sexual Violence As Weapon Of War More Than Doubled In 2025 — UN

The UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, has warned that nearly 10,000 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence were recorded worldwide in 2025, describing the figure as a sharp escalation in the use of rape and other forms of sexual abuse as weapons of war.

Patten made the disclosure while presenting the United Nations annual report at the UN Headquarters in New York, stating that documented cases of sexual violence used as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression increased significantly during the year.

“In 2025, documented cases of sexual violence as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression, marked by extreme brutality and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls, increased dramatically,” she said.

The findings were contained in a report published on the UN website on Friday titled, “Conflict-related sexual violence cases more than doubled in 2025, UN warns,” and obtained by our correspondent on Saturday.

The report verified 9,788 cases across 21 conflict-affected countries but stressed that the figure reflects only documented incidents and does not capture the full extent of the abuse.

Patten cautioned that the data should not be interpreted as comprehensive.

“The figures contained in this report should be understood not as the full picture, but as an indication of a much broader pattern of violations that remain largely unseen and underreported,” she said.

According to the report, the abuses include rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, trafficking and abductions committed by both state and non-state actors.

While women and girls remain the primary targets, the report also documented cases involving men and boys, often in detention settings and as a form of torture, as well as heightened risks faced by LGBTQI+ persons.

Victims ranged widely in age, with cases involving children as young as one year old and adults up to 70 years old, including persons with disabilities.

The UN noted that the violence is frequently accompanied by extreme brutality, including killings following rape and suicides among survivors.

“At its heart, this report is about the human suffering of all these survivors and communities living in the shadow of war,” Patten said.

The report also highlighted the role of armed groups and criminal networks, noting that non-state armed actors continue to use sexual violence to assert control over territories and populations, particularly in fragile and resource-rich areas.

It added that displacement, insecurity and weakened protection systems are increasing the vulnerability of women and girls in border communities and remote regions.

The report further warned that restrictions on humanitarian access and funding shortfalls are hampering both the documentation of abuses and the delivery of support services to survivors.

Calling for stronger action, the UN urged Member States and the Security Council to intensify efforts to prevent such violations, ensure accountability and provide survivor-centred support.

Its recommendations include ensuring unhindered humanitarian access, expanding monitoring and sanctions mechanisms, supporting women’s protection advisers in UN missions, strengthening investigations and prosecutions, and increasing funding for medical, psychosocial and legal services.

Patten appealed for greater focus on the rights and welfare of survivors.

“These violations are neither isolated nor confined to a handful of contexts.

“They are global in scale, devastating in impact and demand a response centred not on political posturing, selective outrage or pre-conceived narratives, but on the rights, needs and dignity of victims and survivors,” she said.