Working with adult survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (Annex to our Guide to Trauma-Informed Legal Practice)

To support lawyers working with survivors of CRSV to do so in a trauma informed way, we have published an annex to our Guidelines for Trauma Informed Legal Practice (TILP).

This annex is available to download in English and Ukrainian.

Trauma is an emotional response to an event which is so distressing, negative or intense that it overwhelms our capacity to cope.

Trauma in the context of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) may take the form of single-incidence trauma, such as a sexual assault, or complex trauma which includes chronic or repetitive experiences of trauma such as forced marriage or ongoing sexual violence while in detention. It can involve both these elements with incidences of sexual violence occurring in situations of enduring violence, repression or deprivation.

While traumatic experiences are highly subjective, CRSV and other forms of violence associated with war are generally experienced as traumatising regardless of cultural or other factors. It should be seen as common that survivors may experience trauma as a result of being subjected to CRSV.

The Annex begins by considering CRSV and how it may impact different groups (women, men, marginalised communities). In Chapter 2, we look at characteristics of trauma in the context
of CRSV and the impact of CRSV on memory. Chapter 3 looks at organisational practices to address risks associated with working with survivors of CRSV. Chapter 4 considers in depth how to develop a trauma-informed lawyer-client relationship in the context of CRSV, beginning with how to organise meetings with clients and gather evidence, and then how to support clients through the legal process, including medical examinations.

This Annex should be read alongside the Global Code of Conduct for Gathering and Using Information about Systematic and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, often referred to as ‘the Murad Code’. The Murad Code reflects universal, non-negotiable core standards which should be applied by all actors to uphold a survivor-centred approach. In our Annex we reference some of these principles to draw attention to the cross over between the Murad Code and TILP approaches.

Our Guidelines for trauma informed legal practice for lawyers working with adult survivors of human rights violations can be downloaded in English, Ukrainian and Russian.