A Measure of Justice: Alternatives to Pursuing Criminal Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka

Recent research conducted in Sri Lanka has revealed that victim survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and their notions of justice and accountability are influenced by their lack of trust in an ineffective criminal justice process. Moreover, the fear of reprisal by State allied perpetrators deters them from accessing formal justice. The failure of a criminal justice system steeped in patriarchal, discriminatory gender insensitive procedures in which CRSV victim survivors search for justice is analyzed through a recent judgment. The case highlights that searching for accountability in the current political context is not feasible and that CRSV victim survivors must be provided with support systems and forms of relief to move on with their lives until justice and accountability can be achieved. The article argues that although criminal accountability is the ideal, alternative possibilities for justice for CRSV victim survivors in Sri Lanka need to be explored, given the Sri Lankan political context and a criminal justice process fraught with many challenges. The role of the Office for Reparations in providing reparations to CRSV victim survivors and the options of a "partial" justice are discussed.