Sexual violence is still used as a strong instrument to wage a war, and many perpetrators of rape during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina are still free, participants of an event marking the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict in the eastern town of Foca said on Monday.

The gathering was performed in memory of the victims of sexual violence in BiH, and it started with commemorating the victims in front of the ‘Partizan’ sports hall.

Midheta Kaloper, the head of the Association of the victims of war ‘Foca 92-95’, said the hall used to be a place for the youth, in the town where everyone lived, worked and raised their kids together, which suddenly changed in April 1992, when it turned into the place of “rape and torture of Bosniak women from Foca and its surrounding.”

“Unfortunately, ‘Partizan’ hall is one of the dark spots in the town, the country and the world, where women were raped and tortured in organised manner. There is no word to fully describe the fear, humiliation, mental and physical suffering that the captured Bosniak women went through while they were going through the slavery in the Foca camps,” said Kaloper.

She also stressed that the lesson from Bosnia was not sufficient so many women in the world are subject of torture, including those in Ukraine.

“Sexual violence is being used today as a strong instrument to wage a war, as a last blow to a family on destroying a woman's dignity. Rape is the cheapest weapon, which leaves the worst consequences. Many criminals are still free, and they have an excuse and protection of institutions, politics, friends, workmates, neighbours, relatives for that,” said Kaloper, urging for setting up of memorials in Foca instead of disputable murals.

The crowd then walked to the main square, where they paid respects to all women, victims of sexual violence in Bosnia, the region and the world.

They also walked to the bridge over the Cehotina river, throwing roses in the water in memory of the victims.