The Syrian Arab Republic has long been a powder-keg of instability in the Middle East. The most recent conflict has overwhelmed the country since 2011.
Under cover of conflict, perpetrators of sexual violence go unnoticed and unprosecuted. While women and girls are disproportionately targeted for sexual violence during conflicts, men and boys are hidden victims.
One thing that is known is that, for their victims, there is no escape. With perpetrators from both the government and armed extremist groups like Isis, victims simply have nowhere to turn for help. Human Rights Watch is shining a light on these crimes in a report titled: “They Treated Us In Monstrous Ways” – Sexual Violence Against Men, Boys and Transgender Women in the Syrian Conflict. Researcher and report author Pinar Erdem from Human Rights Watch joined us to discuss the findings.