Three years later: Hamas's sex crimes on the table at the UN Congress in Abu Dhabi

WIZO International convened an international discussion at the UN Congress on Crime Prevention in Abu Dhabi, focusing on prosecuting perpetrators of Hamas's sexual violence. The discussion included Israeli and international experts, alongside representatives from Ukraine, and examined issues of evidence documentation, preservation of testimonies, and dealing with denial.

WIZO International convened an international discussion in Abu Dhabi, as part of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, focusing on prosecuting perpetrators of Hamas's sexual violence. The discussion took place on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, three years after the October 7 massacre. The central question was how to turn testimonies into admissible evidence in court, while dealing with the spread of testimonies on social media, forgeries, and denial. Participants also examined the use of artificial intelligence to preserve the voices of victims while maintaining their privacy. Alongside the Israeli experience, the Ukrainian experience in investigating sexual violence during wartime was presented. The discussion included attorney Col. (res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinchas, Judge (ret.) Nava Ben-Or, attorney Sharon Binyan, attorney Ben Wallhouse, Shiran Melamedovsky-Somech, and Victoria Karpa. The discussion is part of a broader WIZO effort to bring the crimes of October 7 to international platforms, leveraging its status at the UN.