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War and Rape

Law, Memory and Justice

Nicola Henry author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:26th Nov '10

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War and Rape cover

Wartime rape has been virulent in wars of sovereignty, territory, conquest, religion, ideology and liberation, yet attention to this crime has been sporadic throughout history. Rape remains ‘unspeakable’, particularly within law. Moreover, rape has not featured prominently in post-conflict collective memory. And even when rape is ‘remembered’, it is often the subject of political controversy and heated debate.

In this book, Henry asks some critical questions about the relationship between mass rape, politics and law. In what ways does law contribute to the collective memory of wartime rape? How do ‘counter-memories’ of victims compete with the denialism of wartime rape? The text specifically analyses the historical silencing of rape throughout international legal history and the potential of law to restore these silenced histories, it also examines the violence of law and the obstacles to individual and collective redemption. Tracing the prosecution of rape crimes within contemporary courts, Henry seeks to argue that politics underscores the way rape is dealt with by the international community in the aftermath of armed conflict.

Providing a comprehensive overview of the politics of wartime rape and the politics of prosecuting such crimes within international humanitarian law, this text will be of great interest to scholars of gender and security, war crimes and law and society.

'Nicola Henry has written an erudite and powerfully argued book about the role of law in constructing collective memories of sexual violation in wartime.' - Joanna Bourke, Gender & Development, Vol. 19, 2, July 2011

'The book is well written and is great use to anyone interested in gender studies, war studies and legal studies or collective memory issues.'Rasa Balockaite, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania

ISBN: 9780415564731

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 340g

184 pages