The intervention of celebrities in humanitarian crises doesn't tend to be taken very seriously, but Angelina Jolie made a real impact last night when she met ministers including William Hague, Philip Hammond and Lynne Featherstone at the Foreign Office. A private screening of her new documentary, In The Land Of Blood And Honey, was followed by a discussion including other human rights workers specialising in war rape.
At the event, Hague announced the development of a new expert task force designed to enter global trouble spots and investigate alleged cases of rape. Although rape is often used as a weapon of war it is difficult to prosecute because there is usually a shortage of evidence, meaning that even after conflicts have ended, criminals go free. In addition to the new task force, the UK has pledged to use its G8 presidency next year to highlight the issue.
Jolie began working with the United Nations in 2001 and hopes her film will bring some of the horrors she has witnessed to wider public attention. It focuses on the rape of Croat and Muslim women during the Bosnian war. Featherstone, who has ministerial responsibility for tackling violence against women and girls overseas, today commended her for shining a light into a dark corner.
