Pramila Patten to Visit Israel Over Sexual Violence Allegations

Pramila Patten, Lawyer originally from Mauritius and a United Nations special representative for sexual violence in conflict, is set to visit Israel at the end of January.

She has been invited by the Israeli government to hear testimonies from survivors of sexual violence allegedly committed during the Hamas attacks on Oct 7.

It is unclear if Patten will investigate the crimes, as it is not within her mandate.

Israel has faced criticism for its handling of the attacks, with accusations that the UN has failed to condemn Hamas and has been slow to recognize witness accounts of rape and sexual violence.

The UN Human Rights Office and the International Criminal Court are also investigating the allegations.

However, Israel has expressed reluctance to cooperate with these investigations.

Reports of sexual violence and rape during the attacks have been circulated in the media, but some findings have been disputed and questioned.

The Israeli police are also conducting their own investigations, but so far, they have not interviewed or identified any victims of sexual assault or rape.

Source: PassBlue – United Nations