1974 prisoners of war reveal trauma of sexual violence

Vassos Christou, president of the 1974 Prisoners of War Association, has confirmed that multiple Cypriot soldiers held in Turkish prisons in Adana after the 1974 conflict were subjected to sexual violence. For over 50 years, these survivors kept their experiences secret, fearing social stigma and the impact on their families within a conservative and traumatized society.

According to psychologist Antonis Androulidakis, this long-term concealment represents a failure of societal witness. The sexual abuse is described as a deliberate act of humiliation and domination used during the war. Survivors chose silence as a coping mechanism to protect themselves and their loved ones from the shame and exclusion they sensed from the public following their release.

This revelation sheds light on the long-term psychological consequences of the conflict. Experts emphasize that the trauma stems not only from the abuse itself but also from the burden of keeping such sensitive information hidden for decades. There are currently no ongoing legal proceedings mentioned, as the focus remains on the psychological impact and the survivors' struggle to process these traumatic events within the context of their historical experience as prisoners of war.