Sexual Crimes in Conflict Database

A collection of relevant literature and case law

Showing 1 to 10 of 22 results.

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Mico Stanisic (“Stanisic & Zupljanin”)

    Year
    2016
    Issues
    Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Torture Camp Detention Centers Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Bosnian Muslim Population Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE)

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/783/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Mico Stanisic
    Charges
    - Persecution as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) of Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat populations, which included sexual violence committed in detention facilities.- Torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) for subjecting Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in camps, police stations, military barracks and other detention facilities to various crimes, including sexual violence.- Torture as a crime against humanity, cruel treatment as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and inhumane acts as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) for subjecting Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in camps, police stations, military barracks and other detention facilities to various crimes, including sexual violence (similar as above under ‘torture’).
    Trial chamber verdict
    Stanisic was found guilty by the Trial Chamber on 27 March 2013 of: - Persecution as a crime against humanity. - Torture and murder as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime Stanisic was found not guilty of (in light of the cumulative convictions principles): - Torture as a crime against humanity, cruel treatment as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and inhumane acts as a crime against humanity.
    sentencing
    Stanisic was sentenced by the Trial Chamber to 22 years’ imprisonment on 30 June 2016.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The Appeals Chamber confirmed the Trial Chamber's judgment on 30 June 2016.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-08-91

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Stojan Župljanin (“Stanišic & Župljanin”)

    Year
    2016
    Issues
    Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Camp Detention Centers Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Bosnian Muslim Population Acquittal Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE)

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/783/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Stojan Župljanin
    Charges
    - Persecution as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) of Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat populations, which included sexual violence committed in detention facilities.- Torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) for subjecting Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in camps, police stations, military barracks and other detention facilities to various crimes, including sexual violence.- Torture as a crime against humanity, cruel treatment as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and inhumane acts as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) for subjecting Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats in camps, police stations, military barracks and other detention facilities to various crimes, including sexual violence (similar as above under ‘torture’).
    Trial chamber verdict
    Župljain was found guilty by the Trial Chamber on 27 March 2013 of: - Persecution as a crime against humanity - Torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime Župljain was found not guilty of (in light of the cumulative convictions principles): - Torture as a crime against humanity, cruel treatment as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and inhumane acts as a crime against humanity (similar as above under ‘torture’).
    sentencing
    Župljain was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment on 30 June 2016.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The Appeals Chamber confirmed the Trial Chamber's judgment on 30 June 2016.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-08-91

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ECCC - Kaing Guek Eav (“Duch”)

    Year
    2012
    Issues
    Definitions/Elements of Sexual Violence Crimes
    Country
    Cambodia
    Keywords
    Penetration Reparation Vagina Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Rape with Foreign Objects Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) Kunarac

    Reference link
    https://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/case/topic/90
    Type of mechanism
    Hybrid court
    Name of mechanism
    Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
    Name of accused
    Kaing Guek Eav
    Charges
    Kaing was indicted on 8 August 2008 and the indictment was confirmed and partially amended on 5 December 2008 for crimes against humanity, including torture (which incorporated one instance of rape) and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions (Articles 5, 6 and 29 (new) (JCE through ‘committing’) of the ECCC Law) committed in Phnom Penh and within the territory of Cambodia between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979. Kaing held a central leadership role at the Security Center S-21, which he abused by training, ordering, and supervising staff in the systematic torture and execution of prisoners deemed to be enemies of the Democratic Kampuchea regime.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 26 July 2010, the Trial Chamber convicted Kaing for crimes against humanity, including torture (which included one instance of rape) and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions under the JCE. The rape as torture conviction related to the incident where an S-21 staff member inserted a stick into the vagina of a detainee during an interrogation.
    sentencing
    Kaing was sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment by the Trial Chamber. However, the Supreme Court quashed this decision and instead sentenced him to life imprisonment.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 6 July 6 2010, the Supreme Court confirmed and partly amended the conviction (the conviction for rape as torture as a crime against humanity remained standing). The Supreme Court stated the Trial Chamber had erred in law by attaching insufficient weight to the gravity of Kaing’s crimes as well as the aggravating circumstances in this case, and that that too much weight had been attached to the mitigating circumstances. Note that the Co-Prosecutors had requested that the Supreme Court Chamber cumulatively convict Kaing for both rape and torture as crimes against humanity. However, given the lack of support for the existence of rape as a distinct crime against humanity during the ECCC’s temporal jurisdiction, the Supreme Court Chamber found that the Trial Chamber erred in concluding that the incident that occurred at S-21 constituted rape as a crime against humanity. Accordingly, this part of the Co-Prosecutors’ appeal failed automatically. Rape was still charged and convicted as torture as a crime against humanity.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    Case 001
    Reparations / awards
    The Trial Chamber admitted 64 applicants as Civil Parties and awarded them reparations, which included inclusion of the names and their deceased family members in the judgment and the compilation and publication of all statements of apology and acknowledgement of responsibility made by Duch on the ECCC website.

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Predrag Kujundzic

    Year
    2011
    Issues
    Sexual Violence against Children
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Sexual Slavery Sexual Threats Rape, Physical and Mental Harm Sexual Violence, Persecution Sexual Abuse Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Rape, Mistreatment

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/1042
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Predrag Kujundzic
    Charges
    Kujundzic was charged on 3 January 2008 (indictment confirmed) with persecution as a crime against humanity, including sexual violence (Article 172(1)(h) read with subparagraph (g) of the Criminal Code of BiH), under Article 180(1) and (2) (individual and command criminal responsibility) of the Criminal Code of BiH, during the period from spring 1992 until autumn 1993, directed against the non-Serb population of the Doboj municipality for coercing sexual slavery and rape of the non-Serb civilian population.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 30 October 2009, the Trial Panel delivered the first-instance verdict by which Kujundzic was found guilty of persecution as a crime against humanity, including sexual violence under individual criminal responsibility. The Trial Panel held that on an unidentified day in June 1992, armed and accompanied by 4-5 members of his unit, Kujundzic came to the house of a certain woman and then raped her daughter who was underage at that time, and at the same time he incited one soldier to rape her mother. On the same day, at the same place, after he raped the minor female person, he told her that as of that day she would comply with all that he requested from her, or otherwise he would kill her mother and her younger sister. Thus during the period from June to December 1992, he forced her into sexual slavery, because by the use of force and threats he established the exclusive right to dispose of her, the control over her movement, the mental control and the control of her sexuality, by way of requesting her to do all that he ordered her. Using that position, he forced her once to read a statement at the Radio Doboj in which it was stated that Muslims were guilty of the war, that Muslims had killed her brother, and that she was inviting them to convert to Christianity. He ordered her to wear a chain with a cross pendant around her neck and to wear the Serb army camouflage uniform and a red beret on her head; he changed her Muslim name into a Serb name without any consent of hers or her parents, he acquired for her the identification documents in the Serb name, and requested her to always introduce herself by her Serb name. On 28 January 2011, the Court dispatched a second-instance verdict and found Kujundzic guilty of persecution as a crime against humanity, including sexual violence under individual criminal responsibility.
    sentencing
    Kujundzic was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment for the first instance verdict. He was also sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment for the second instance charges (for some other charges, he was found not guilty and therefore the sentence was lowered).
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRŽ-07/442

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Milan Martic (“RSK”)

    Year
    2008
    Issues
    Sexual Violence against Men
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Sexual Violence against Men/Boys Persecution on Sexual Grounds Forced Oral Sex Forced Masturbation Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE)

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/733/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Milan Martic
    Charges
    - Persecution as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) (JCE III) of the Croat, Muslim and other non-Serb civilian population, which included sexual abuses, forced mutual oral sex among detainees or with prison guards and mutual masturbation in the old hospital in Knin.- Torture as a crime against humanity, inhumane acts as crimes against humanity, torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and cruel treatment as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE III), which included sexual assaults of Croat, Muslim and other non-Serb civilians detained in the old hospital in Knin, forced mutual oral sex among detainees or with prison guards and mutual masturbation.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Martic was found guilty by the Trial Chamber on 12 June 2007 of: - Persecution as a crime against humanity - Torture as a crime against humanity, inhumane acts as crimes against humanity, torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and cruel treatment as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime
    sentencing
    Martic was sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment on 8 October 2008.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The convictions were upheld by the Appeals Chamber on 8 October 2008.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-95-11

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Oslo District Court - Mirsad Repak

    Year
    2008
    Issues
    Sentencing and Reparations Procedural Rules Advancing Sexual Violence Prosecutions
    Country
    Norway
    Keywords
    Acquittal Domestic Law Humiliating and Degrading Treatment Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Complicity Reparation Detention Centers Foreseeable Consequence

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/36
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Oslo District Court
    Name of accused
    Mirsad Repak
    Charges
    Repak was charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, which both included sexual violence (including of both women and men) under Article 97 of the Norwegian Constitution.
    Trial chamber verdict
    The Court observed that Article 97 of the Norwegian Constitution prohibits any retroactive application of the law unless similar legislation existed at the time of the alleged crimes. The Court ruled that prosecution was possible since the actions described in the indictment were punishable under the Criminal Code in force in 1992 (the time of the crimes). Repak was therefore found guilty of war crimes, including rape (paras. 158-164), but was acquitted for the charges of crimes against humanity, as there was no comparable legislation in 1992.
    sentencing
    Repak was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 11 March 2010, the Norway Court of Appeal reduced Repak’s sentence from 5 to 4,5 years’ imprisonment. On 3 December 2010 the Supreme Court of Norway overturned the conviction against Repak and finally released him. The Supreme Court ruled that the Law on War Crimes of March 2008 could not be applied retroactively to acts committed in 1992. The Court concluded that the retroactive application of the Law on War Crimes would violate Article 97 of the Norwegian Constitution. He was thus acquitted for the charges of war crimes. However, on 14 April 2011, the Supreme Court of Norway found him guilty for unlawful deprivation of liberty and detention of civilians in violation of Section 223(1) and (2) of the 1905 Norwegian Penal Code and sentenced him to eight years in prison. Repak was found guilty on thirteen counts. The indictment charged him with taking part in depriving civilians of liberty and detaining them at the Dretelj detention camp and severe mistreatment of detainees, including sexual abuse, brutal violence, intimidation and humiliation, and deprivation of adequate access to food. The Court concluded that Repak had acted with intent or complicity in the offences, or alternatively could have foreseen the consequences regarding the atrocities suffered by the victims, a level sufficient to find guilt under Section 43 of the Penal Code. According to the sentencing Judge, Repak ‘played a central role in allowing the extensive and sometimes extremely brutal atrocities against the 13 victims to take place’.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    08-018985MED-OTIR/08
    Reparations / awards
    Repak was ordered to pay damages of a total of NKO 400,000 (approximately 51,000 euro) to the families of eight Serbian victims. However, as far as compensation to victims of sexual violence is concerned, the Court ruled that “As regards compensation of economic loss, it is essential for the Court to emphasize that the defendant is only liable for damages where there is a causal relationship between the acts of the defendant and the damage. This means that the defendant is not liable to pay compensation for the extensive damage caused by rapes and gross violence committed by others.”

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Radovan Stankovic

    Year
    2007
    Issues
    Sexual Violence against Children Sentencing and Reparations
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Detention Centers Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Torture Forced to watch Rape Incitement

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/3259
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Radovan Stankovic
    Charges
    Stankovic was charged (on 3 March 2003 as amended on 8 December 2003) with crimes against humanity, including rape (Articles 172(1)(c), (e), (f) and (g) of the Criminal Code of BiH) for having set up a detention centre for (often under aged) women, having incited other soldiers to rape detainees, and having coerced several detainees into forced labor and sexual intercourse.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 14 November 2006, the Court of BiH found Stankovic guilty for crimes against humanity, including enslavement, imprisonment, torture and rape for: (i) Establishing a detention centre (“Karaman’s House”), detaining at least nine female persons and inciting soldiers to rape them; (ii) Compelling detainees to forced labor, inside and outside of the detention center; (iii) Repeatedly raping a detainee, compelling her to forced labor at several locations and having her witness him raping her under aged sister; (iv) Raping a detainee at another detention centre. Stankovic was sentenced to sixteen years’ imprisonment.
    sentencing
    The Appellate Panel increased the sentence from 16 to 20 years' imprisonment. Shortly afterwards, Stankovic escaped from jail. He was recaptured in January 2012. he was then sentenced to another two Year' imprisonment for using force while escaping.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The prosecution appealed against the sentence of 16 years’ imprisonment and the acquittal of one of the charges (forcibly taking a female patient from a hospital in Foca and raping her). Stankovic himself basically contested all the Court’s findings, most notably stating that the witness statements were false and fabricated. On 28 March 2007, the Appellate Panel left intact the entire verdict, though it raised the sentence to 20 years’ imprisonment.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRZ-05/70

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Miroslav Bralo (“Lasva Valley”)

    Year
    2007
    Issues
    Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Biting Ejaculating HVO Soldiers Aiding and Abetting

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/671/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Miroslav Bralo
    Charges
    - Torture or inhuman treatment as a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 as a war crime, torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime, outrages upon personal dignity as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and unlawful confinement as a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 as a war crime under Article 7(1) (committing and aiding and abetting) for repeatedly raping Witness A and biting her nipples while Furundžija interrogated her in the presence of others on, or about, 15 May 1993 and for confining her in a house in the area of Nadioci where she was repeatedly raped by members of the “Jokers” with the knowledge of Bralo between 16 May 1993 and July 1993.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Bralo entered a guilty plea to all counts in the indictment on 19 July 2005. Bralo was found guilty by the Trial Chamber of: - Torture or inhuman treatment as a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 as a war crime, torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime, outrages upon personal dignity as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and unlawful confinement as a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 as a war crime.
    sentencing
    Bralo was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on 2 April 2007.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-95-17

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Iraqi High Tribunal - Abdullah Kadhim Ruwayid (“Saddam Hussein Al Majeed et al.”)

    Year
    2006
    Issues
    Socio-cultural Context of Sexual Violence
    Country
    Iraq
    Keywords
    Aiding and Abetting Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) Detention Centers Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Shame Use of Euphemistic Language

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/187
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Iraqi High Tribunal (IHT)
    Name of accused
    Abdullah Kadhim Ruwayid
    Charges
    Ruwayid was indicted on 31 July 2005 for different charges of crimes against humanity, including torture (based on the Rome Statute provision) by aiding and abetting the senior defendants’ (Hussein, Hassan and Ramadan) joint criminal enterprise, which seemed to include sexual violence as found in the factual findings in the Judgement.The indictment was based on the response of the President and his staff on the July 1982 event. In July 1982, a convoy carrying Saddam Hussein was fired upon by unknown individuals as it was visiting the town of Al Dujail. In response to what the President perceived as an assassination attempt but which did not injure anyone, a systematic attack was launched against the residents of Al Dujail as they were fired upon from aircraft and their property was destroyed. A Revolutionary Court sentenced 148 residents to death without trial for their alleged involvement in the assassination attempt. Of those that were hanged, the Tribunal identified a number of children. Countless others died in detention, as a result of torture at the hand of the Investigation Services, or from malnutrition, lack of access to medical care and poor hygienic conditions. Many rapes and other forms of sexual violence committed against women took place in detention.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 5 November 2006, Ruwayid was convicted. The conviction included torture as a crime against humanity, which encompassed several instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence. [it is not entirely clear how the sexual violence was ultimately convicted, but it seems under ‘torture’ as a crime against humanity]
    sentencing
    Abdullah Ruwayid received a sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    1/E First/2005

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Iraqi High Tribunal - Ali Dayeh Ali (“Saddam Hussein Al Majeed et al.”)

    Year
    2006
    Issues
    Socio-cultural Context of Sexual Violence
    Country
    Iraq
    Keywords
    Aiding and Abetting Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) Detention Centers Rape/Sexual Violence in Detention Shame Use of Euphemistic Language

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/187
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Iraqi High Tribunal (IHT)
    Name of accused
    Ali Dayeh Ali
    Charges
    Ali was indicted (on 31 July 2005) for different charges of crimes against humanity, including torture (based on the Rome Statute provision) by aiding and abetting the senior defendants’ (Hussein, Hassan and Ramadan) joint criminal enterprise, which seemed to include sexual violence as found in the factual findings in the Judgement.The indictment was based on the response of the President and his staff on the July 1982 event. In July 1982, a convoy carrying Saddam Hussein was fired upon by unknown individuals as it was visiting the town of Al Dujail. In response to what the President perceived as an assassination attempt but which did not injure anyone, a systematic attack was launched against the residents of Al Dujail as they were fired upon from aircraft and their property was destroyed. A Revolutionary Court sentenced 148 residents to death without trial for their alleged involvement in the assassination attempt. Of those that were hanged, the Tribunal identified a number of children. Countless others died in detention, as a result of torture at the hand of the Investigation Services, or from malnutrition, lack of access to medical care and poor hygienic conditions. Many rapes and other forms of sexual violence committed against women took place in detention.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 5 November 2006, Ali was convicted. The conviction included torture as a crime against humanity, which encompassed several instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence. [it is not entirely clear how the sexual violence was ultimately convicted, but it seems under ‘torture’ as a crime against humanity]
    sentencing
    Ali received a sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    1/E First/2005

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