In discussions about terrorism, attention is usually directed toward intelligence, borders, and weapon systems. In contrast, sexual violence as part of a terror attack often remains outside the focus of security policy and the justice system.
A new professional report from the RAIA Project, based on the case study of the terror attacks of October 7, 2023 in the Middle East, offers a working framework for democratic states to systematically integrate sexual offences into their national terror preparedness strategies.
The report highlights that:
• In short, large-scale attacks, evidence of sexual offences is often the first to be lost;
• Operational chaos — multiple crime scenes, fires, rapid evacuations — makes it difficult for security, health, and judicial authorities to identify and document sexual violence;
• Without advance planning, victims of sexual offences are barely visible in the official portrayal of the event — neither in reports nor in data nor in legal proceedings.
Against this background, the report proposes that sexual violence in terror attacks should be understood as a security-policy challenge — not solely as a social issue:
• Including the possibility of sexual offences in national reference scenarios;
• Developing specific protocols and training for security forces, medical personnel, and emergency responders;
• Updating methods of evidence collection and information-sharing between agencies.
For democratic states, this is a necessary discussion about how criminal law and the rule of law can respond to sexual offences committed in the context of a terror attack — even when evidence is only partially available due to the complex situation on the ground.
The analysis aims to offer practical tools to link the protection of national security with the safeguarding of human dignity and the rule of law, even in extreme situations.