Colombo

Conflict-related sexual violence suffered by Tamil civilians during Sri Lanka’s nearly three-decade-long civil war remains largely unacknowledged and unpunished, even 17 years after the conflict ended, according to a new report by the United Nations.

The report, titled “We lost everything – even hope for justice”, is based on more than ten years of monitoring by the UN Human Rights Office, along with consultations involving survivors, gender-based violence experts, civil society organisations and legal practitioners.

It highlights that sexual violence was systematically used during the war—primarily by state security forces—as a tool to intimidate, punish and exert control over communities affected by the conflict. Tamil civilians and individuals suspected of having links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were the main targets, including women, the report noted.

The LTTE had waged an armed struggle for a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern regions for nearly 30 years before its defeat in 2009, when its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed by government forces.

According to the UN document, the failure to ensure accountability, recognition and reparations for wartime sexual violence has entrenched a culture of impunity that continues to shape the lives of survivors. Many victims still endure long-term physical injuries, infertility, severe psychological trauma and suicidal thoughts, the report said.

Survivors also described a persistent atmosphere of surveillance, intimidation and harassment, which discourages reporting of abuse and deepens stigma. This climate, the report observed, has resulted in very limited access to justice and effective remedies.

Emphasising that conflict-related sexual violence constitutes a grave breach of international law, the report said such acts may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity. It underlined that Sri Lanka is bound by multiple international treaties to prevent such violations, investigate them thoroughly, prosecute those responsible and provide reparations to survivors.

The UN urged the Sri Lankan government to urgently honour its commitments on domestic accountability and undertake meaningful, survivor-focused reforms. These include publicly acknowledging past abuses, issuing a formal apology, and introducing reforms across the security forces, judiciary and legal system.

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The report further called for the establishment of an independent prosecutorial mechanism and improved access to psychological, medical and social support services for survivors, stressing that justice delayed has compounded the suffering of those affected by the conflict.