– We have been made aware of this issue through volunteers who work to assist refugees arriving in Poland. We take this very seriously, especially because we do not know the extent of the problem, which makes it difficult to identify the women who need help, she tells Dagbladet.
Matvijtsjuk emphasizes that the incidence of sexualised violence is characterized by under-reporting and dark numbers. As a result, it is not known how many people have been raped by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, how many rape victims arrive in Poland and how many of them are in need of medical care.
– But Ukrainian authorities have stated that some women and girls have become pregnant after being raped in Ukraine. We know of at least one woman who has been raped by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, who has not been allowed to have an abortion in Poland, and who has traveled further as a result.
MUST HAVE LISTENED TO RUSSIANS: On April 12, Ukraine’s security services posted an audio clip of what they claim is an intercepted conversation between a Russian soldier and his wife. Video: Reuters. Audio: Ukraine’s security service. Reporter: Vegard Krüger sea view
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Can not be ruled out
NUPI researcher Jakub Godzimirski tells Dagbladet that the abortion laws in Poland have attracted attention since before Russia invaded Ukraine.
– It can not be ruled out that some Ukrainian refugees have had problems getting an abortion after arrival in Poland, Godzimirski says to Dagbladet and continues:
– When you are in Poland, you must follow Polish laws. Poland has introduced strict abortion laws and until recently it was possible to have an abortion in certain cases, for example if the pregnancy came as a result of a criminal act, but all in all it is very difficult to get an abortion in Poland.
But, says Godzimirski, one must also be aware that there are opportunities to help women if they are affected by this problem.
– There are very many committed women in Poland who want to help refugees gain access to health services, and who may be able to help women travel to another country where abortion is not prohibited. In addition, there are some doctors in Poland who may be willing to perform an abortion.
DESTRUCTIONS: These new drone images show major destruction in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Video: Reuters. sea view
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International aid
Poland receives the most refugees from Ukraine. Matvijtsjuk says that they understand that the country is facing a challenging situation as a result. At the same time, she is fully aware that something must be done to try to limit the issue of sexual violence in Ukraine and abortion in Poland.
Matvijtsjuk says that they have discussed the issue with their colleagues in Poland and agreed to strengthen the work of informing women about how to seek medical health care.
– We also agreed that if someone needs to have an abortion, you should get help to travel from Poland and to another country.
She believes that other countries can also contribute to designing information campaigns that are designed to deal with such an issue that is characterized by under-reporting and dark numbers.
– All women have the right to receive medical and mental health care, even if they refuse to testify and just want to forget.
MINISTER OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: Espen Barth Eide (Labor Party). Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB sea view
– The reports of conflict-related sexualized violence from the war zones in Ukraine are very, very alarming, heartbreaking, outrageous and unacceptable, said Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide (Labor) on behalf of the government in the Storting’s Question Time on 6 April.
Eide added that Norway, together with its partners on the ground in Ukraine and in neighboring countries, has stepped up its efforts to protect against conflict-related sexualised violence and to provide access to health care. He further said that the world community must do more to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
