Breaking the silence over sexual violence against men and boys in war

Conflicts can expose civilians and detainees to grave abuses; the challenge is not only to document these crimes, but also to ensure all survivors are recognised, protected and able to access justice and care.

When a Ukrainian prisoner of war was released in 2025 after three years in detention, he carried with him searing memories of rape, forced nudity, beatings and electric shocks to his genitals.

His experience is part of a pattern the United Nations is documenting across conflicts: Men and boys are also subjected to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), often in places where sexual abuses are hard to document, including detention facilities.

Women and girls continue to bear the overwhelming burden of this violence. But overlooking male survivors can leave them without appropriate medical, psychological or legal support.

According to the UN Secretary-General’s report, women and girls made up 93 per cent of verified victims of conflict-related sexual violence in 2024, compared with seven per cent who were men and boys.

The figures, however, do not capture the full extent of the damage which remains heavily underreported; estimates suggest that 90 to 95 per cent of sexual abuse against men and boys in conflict settings is never recorded.

Detention is one of the settings most frequently associated with the issue. In Ukraine, the UN verified 310 cases of CRSV, 280 involving men. Many were prisoners of war or civilian detainees.

The abuses included rape, forced nudity, beatings and electric shocks, used alongside other forms of abuse to punish, humiliate and extract critical information and confessions.

The pattern is not limited to Ukraine: the UN has documented male survivors in several other conflicts, while stating that verified cases are conservative estimates because insecurity, restricted access and fear of retaliation prevent many survivors from coming forward.