Ukraine officially has about one million veterans, and the government predicts that this number will increase by 4–5 times in the coming years. After returning from the frontlines, military personnel often struggle to cope with the traumatic experiences they have endured. Sometimes, they feel disconnected from society and find it difficult to reintegrate into civilian life. This can sometimes lead to criminal offenses.
Why should courts take into account the background and mental state of a veteran? Could harsh prison sentences hinder the rehabilitation of the soldier?
Ukrainian lawyers are already studying the possibility of judging veterans with PTSD in a special way, replacing imprisonment with a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Hromadske explores how this might work.
The purpose of punishment – not the punishment itself
The main goal of punishing a criminal should be to correct the individual and prevent further crimes, emphasizes Lesia Kliarovska, chair of the board of the NGO “Legal Hundred.”
If society ignores the psychological trauma of veterans, they feel misunderstood. This generates aggression, unwillingness to follow social norms, and disregard for the law. Such feelings impact the overall criminal situation.
Research by the Ukrainian Veterans Fund has shown that veterans already face challenges with physical and mental health, employment, financial difficulties, relationships, housing, and access to medical care.
These issues are complex and can drive veterans to commit criminal acts, making them subject to the criminal justice system. In addition to physical injuries, there are also invisible wounds of war, which manifest in mental health conditions like PTSD, depression, suicidal behavior, alcohol and drug addiction, and anxiety disorders.
— adds international law expert Ksenіia Tkachuk.
According to her, without appropriate intervention, veterans with war-related injuries are more likely to engage in destructive actions than ordinary civilians. Invisible wounds can also lead to long-term problems such as homelessness, unemployment, and tension in family relationships.
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War leaves scars not only on the body, but also on the mind. This article examines why the justice system should take veterans’ combat experience and mental health into account, and whether rehabilitation can be more effective than punishment.