Jemima Khan warned today that sexual violence in war was as “devastating as bullets and bombs” and destroys the lives of thousands of children.
She told the Standard that many victims of rape and sexual assault in conflicts were young people, some targeted after having lost or been separated from their parents. “The majority of sexual violence against children isn’t reported and the impact on a young life is devastating,” she said. “These children risk being left with physical and psychological scars.”
Unicef ambassador Ms Khan joined other women urging governments to protect children. They included Victoria Beckham, J K Rowling, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Claudia Schiffer, Sophie Dahl, Baroness Lane Fox and Baroness Grey-Thompson.
They highlighted reports from refugees fleeing Syria that sexual violence has been rising. “An entire generation is at risk of being lost”, they added.
In June, Foreign Secretary William Hague and Angelina Jolie will host a London summit on tackling sexual violence in war zones.
Ms Khan said: “We want to see measures to make it easier for children to report sexual crimes and make sure the justice system takes account of their age and needs.”
