Mr. Speaker, on this day celebrating the place and role of women in our society, I would like to add my voice to theirs.
During the recent conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina, rape was widespread and it was used as a veritable weapon of war. To judge those who committed these atrocities, the international community established an international criminal court. For the first time in history, rape, one horrendous act among many, will be considered a war crime.
But while charges have been laid against them and their whereabouts are known, the alleged offenders have yet to be arrested, in spite of the fact that security forces from several countries, including Canada, are participating in the SFOR operations. This complacent attitude has lasted long enough.
I sincerely hope that those who committed rape will be arrested. I also hope that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Defence will encourage SFOR to participate more actively in arresting criminals so that justice can be done for all women.