‘Absolutely horrifying’: Freeland promises justice for sexual violence victims in Ukraine
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada is dedicated to searching for justice for Ukrainian girls and kids as allegations mount of sexual violence by Russian troopers.
Freeland was requested Thursday about struggle crimes that Russia has been accused of committing on Ukrainian residents and using sexual violence as a weapon of struggle.
“Struggle crimes have been dedicated in Ukraine, they’re being dedicated in Ukraine. The proof that we’ve seen in Bucha and different elements of Ukraine which were underneath Russian occupation is completely horrifying,” Freeland stated after a tour of a carbon seize facility in Calgary.
“I do need to take a second to underscore that one of many issues that’s occurring is the systematic rape of Ukrainian girls and kids.”
Freeland stated Canada would work with its democratic allies to prosecute these accountable.
“Rape is getting used as a weapon on this struggle and I need the ladies of Ukraine to know that we see them, we aren’t going to neglect and we are going to work with Ukraine and with our democratic allies all over the world to convey the perpetrators to justice.”
Freeland, who additionally serves as finance minister, stated she spoke along with her Ukrainian counterpart Thursday to voice Canada’s assist.
She additionally stated it’s applicable to declare Russia’s occupation a genocide _ as U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have stated _ since 1000’s of Ukrainians have been killed and brutalized.
Freeland pointed to a “chilling doc” on a Russian web site printed 10 days in the past “that successfully laid out a plan for genocide in Ukraine, that known as for the struggling, the punishment of people that selected, within the view of this doc, wrongly and mistakenly to explain themselves as Ukrainian.”
“That known as for the phrase Ukraine to be erased.”
Freeland stated the Russian occupation indicators a battle between democracy and dictatorship and it’s in Canada’s curiosity to again Ukraine.
“Frankly, we’re actually fortunate that the Ukrainians are ready so bravely to battle that battle for us, that they’re ready to face there and die on this battle.”
As much as 150 members of the Canadian Armed Forces are deploying to Poland to assist with the care, co-ordination and resettlement of Ukrainian refugees.
