Earlier this week, United States Senator Dick Durbin chaired a hearing “examining the widespread use of rape as a weapon of war, legal options for holding perpetrators accountable and the role the United States plays in preventing and prosecuting this horrific crime.”
The Feminist Majority Foundation reported that, Senator Durbin convened the hearing by stating his disappointment with the U.S. failure to take action on the issue. He said:

“I’m sorry to say that if a foreign warlord who is engaged in mass rape found his way to the US today, he’d likely be beyond the reach of our laws. That is shameful. If we fail to close these loopholes, we will allow these crimes to continue with impunity.”

Karin Wachter, with the International Rescue Committee, urged lawmakers to support the International Violence Against Women Act and to strengthen U.S. laws to give more protections to victims of sex crimes.
Senator Durbin vowed to work with his congressional colleagues to ensure that U.S. laws hold accountable those who use rape as a weapon of war.
Click here, and here to learn more about the hearing.