UN orders Bosnia to compensate wartime rape victim

The UN Committee Against Torture has made a "landmark" ruling calling on Bosnia to compensate a victim of wartime rape and provide free medical and psychological care, according to the NGO Trial International.

The legal organisation helped file a complaint to the UN committee (CAT) after the victim won her case in a Bosnian court in 2015 but never received the 15,000-euro (USD 16,500) compensation because the rapist did not have the funds to pay.

A statute of limitations then prevented her from filing a civil case asking the state to foot the bill.

In an a preliminary decision posted on Trial's website, the UN committee said Bosnia had "failed to fulfil its obligations... by failing to provide the complainant with redress including fair and adequate compensation".

It said the government is now required to ensure "prompt, fair and adequate compensation" to the victim, as well as immediate and free "medical and psychological care".

Bosnia is also required to "offer public official apologies", the committee said.

Trial International hailed the decision as "hugely important."