UN chief spotlights forgotten kids of wartime rape victims

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is putting a spotlight on the forgotten children born to wartime rape victims who are often shamed and excluded on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

In a message marking Tuesday's annual commemoration, the U.N. chief says these children "often struggle with issues of identity and belonging for decades after the guns have fallen silent."

Guterres adds that "they may be left in a legal limbo, or at risk of becoming stateless" and "they are vulnerable to recruitment, trafficking and exploitation."