Právněhistorické studie / Legal History Studies (Charles University journal; below referred to as PHS or Journal) is a scientific journal listed in the international prestigious database SCOPUS. The journal is published by Charles University in Prague under the guarantee of the Department of Legal History of the Faculty of Law of Charles University. It is published by the Karolinum Press. The journal focuses on the field of legal history and related topics.
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PRÁVNĚHISTORICKÉ STUDIE, Vol 56 No 1 (2026), 127–151
ArticleUmlčané obete: Politizácia ženskej sexuality a vývoj právnej ochrany pred sexuálnym násilím v ozbrojených konfliktoch
[Silenced Victims: The Politicization of Female Sexuality and the Development of Legal Protection Against Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict]
Nina Laca
, Alexandra Letková
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/2464689X.2026.193
published online: 22. 04. 2026
abstract
The authors of this article map the position of women in armed conflicts from World War II to the present day in light of sexually motivated crimes. Through an analysis of selected cases, the study offers a critical reflection on how female sexuality has become politicized, while victims of sexual violence have long been overlooked and marginalized in terms of both social and legal interest. Through the lens of feminist legal theory, the authors point to the marginalization of sexual violence and the response of the international community in gradually addressing the issue of sexual violence in conflicts. An analysis of the Geneva Conventions and the case law of selected ICTY and ICTR cases points to the transformation of sexual violence from a marginalized phenomenon to an internationally punishable war crime and crime against humanity.
keywords: women; sexual violence; Geneva Conventions; international criminal law; feminist legal theory
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