Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-12-14-Speech-4-262"
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"en.20061214.49.4-262"2
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"Mr President, there is now ample evidence that a number of United Nations peacekeepers have, in recent years, been involved in hideous crimes against the vulnerable civilian populations they are supposed to protect. These crimes include such abominable acts as rape and sexual exploitation of children.
In considering the subject, there are three aspects that are extremely worrisome and disconcerting. First, it is almost certain that the reported and investigated cases are only the tip of the iceberg. Some claim that, for every case investigated, there are ten that will never come to light. Second, in most instances a cover-up operation is put in motion, not just by the criminals involved, but also by their superiors in command – the comradeship-in-arms of soldiers becoming the conspiracy and concealment of criminals.
In any event, carrying out a proper investigation under the circumstances involved is not just difficult, but, in most cases, it is impossible. Of relevance here is the fact that jurisdiction over UN soldiers lies with the country of origin of the individuals involved. Such a jurisdiction process is strewn with procedural and legal problems and, in effect, provides UN soldiers with immunity from prosecution.
Third, in most cases investigated and found to be substantiated, the guilty get away with minimal punishment. Ordinarily, a paedophiliac rapist would get life imprisonment in most countries, but a UN paedophiliac rapist would probably merely be disciplined, or would just be excluded from again being hired by UN missions.
This shameful, despicable and abhorrent criminal activity by UN personnel cannot go unpunished, and neither can the ultimate political responsibility of the UN hierarchy be swept under the carpet. The outgoing UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, has a lot of explaining to do in this respect."@en1
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