Sexual Crimes in Conflict Database

A collection of relevant literature and case law

Showing 31 to 40 of 115 results.

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Nedo Samardzic

    Year
    2006
    Issues
    Sentencing and Reparations
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Aggravating Factors Nudity, Public Rape Sexual Violence, Persecution Retrial

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/228/Samard%C5%BEi%C4%87-/
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Nedo Samardzic
    Charges
    Samardzic was charged with persecution as a crime against humanity, including sexual violence (Article 172(1)(h) as read with subparagraph (g) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Samardzic, in the period April 1992 to March 1993 in the Foca Municipality, as a member of the Army of Serb Republic of BiH, together with other soldiers, conducted persecution of the Bosniak civilian population on national, ethnical, religious, and gender grounds. He forced victims into sexual slavery, raped them, and conducted other inhumane acts, intentionally causing them great suffering, serious physical injuries and harm to their health. Some of the incidents concern: (i) In May 1992, in Miljevina, Samardzic raped and abused a female Bosniak in her apartment, subsequently taking her to the street and tying her half-naked to a street pole; (ii) In June 1992, Samardzic took a female Bosniak from her house to hotel Miljevina in the Foca Municipality, where he raped her. Afterwards, she was held for seven days in the hotel where she was raped by other soldiers on a daily basis; (iii) In the period June - September 1992, together with Nikola Brcic and Radovan Stankovic, Samardzic held several Bosniak women (two of whom were minors) as sexual slaves in the so-called Karaman’s house in Miljevina, which was used as a detention camp for women. The women were forced to engage in sexual intercourse with soldiers coming into the house on a daily basis. Samardzic personally forced detained women into sexual intercourse with him.
    Trial chamber verdict
    The Trial Panel found, on 7 April 2006, Samardzic guilty of crimes against humanity, including sexual and sentenced him 13 years and 4 months’ imprisonment.
    sentencing
    While the initial trial sentence was 13 years and 4 months imprisonment, this was increased to 24 years' imprisonment by the Appellate Panel.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 29 September 2006, the Appellate Division Panel of Section I for War Crimes of the Court of BiH rendered a decision upholding the appeals filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and Defense, and revoking the first instance verdict in the convicting and acquitting part. The same decision ordered a retrial before the Appellate Panel of Section I for War Crimes. On 13 December 2006, the Appellate Panel found Samardžic guilty of persecution as a crime against humanity, including sexual violence, and sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRZ-05/49

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Milomir Stakic (“Prijedor”)

    Year
    2006
    Issues
    Definitions/Elements of Sexual Violence Crimes Modes of Liability
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Rape Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) Detention Centers Forced to watch Rape Genocidal Intent Coercion

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/782/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Milomir Stakic
    Charges
    - Persecution as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) (co-perpetration), which included rapes and sexual assault.- Causing serious bodily or mental harm as genocide or, alternatively, complicity in genocide under Article 7(1) (JCE) and 7(3) (command responsibility), which included subjecting Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat detainees in various camps (e.g. Omarska, Keraterm, Trnopolje) and detention facilities in the Prijedor municipality to rape and sexual assault or forcing them to witness such crimes.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Stakic was found guilty by the Trial Chamber on 31 July 2003 of:- Persecution as a crime against humanity Stakic was found not guilty by the Trial Chamber of:- Causing serious bodily or mental harm as genocide or, alternatively, complicity in genocide as it was not proved that Stakic had the specific genocidal intent.
    sentencing
    Stakic was sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment on 22 March 2006.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The Appeals Chamber confirmed the conviction, but changed the mode of liability from co-perpetration to JCE I.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-97-24

  • Literature

    Ward, Jeanne and Marsh, Mendy - Sexual Violence against Women and Girls in War...

    Year
    2006
    Issues
    Socio-cultural Context of Sexual Violence
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda
    Keywords
    Rape Torture Armed Conflict Media

    Reference link
    http://www.operationspaix.net/DATA/DOCUMENT/1045~v~Sexual_Violence_Against_Women_and_Girls_in_War_and_Its_Aftermath___Realities_Responses_and_Required_Resources.pdf
    Full reference
    Ward, Jeanne and Mendy Marsh, Sexual Violence against Women and Girls in War and its Aftermath: Realities, Responses and Required Resources, Briefing Paper, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2006.
    Type of literature
    Book
    Research focus
    Causality, Functionality and Logic of Conflict-related Sexual Violence
    Author
    Ward, Jeanne and Marsh, Mendy

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Boban Simsic

    Year
    2007
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Detention Centers Humiliating and Degrading Treatment Persecution on Sexual Grounds Rape Sexual Violence, Persecution Sexual Violence, Torture Aiding

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/1187
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Boban Simsic
    Charges
    Simsic was charged on 8 July 2005 (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 Bosnia and Herzegovina) for: (i) in the second half of June 1992, at the Fire Brigade premises in Višegrad, together with two Serbian soldiers, taking part in the harassment and rapes of ten girls and women of Bosniak ethnicity; (ii) whenSimsic was a guard at the facility of the Hasan Veletovac elementary school during the second half of June 1992, when Bosniak civilians were detained at the school, Simsic either on his own or together with other members of the Serbian army, police and paramilitary formations took part in the rape of a number of girls and young women.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 11 July 2006, the Court rendered the first instance verdict finding the accused guilty of persecution as a crime against humanity, including sexual violence and sentencing him to 5 years’ imprisonment. The panel found the accused guilty of aiding in the enforced disappearance and rape of Bosniak civilians in the Hasan Veletovac school premises in Visegrad, which occurred as part of a widespread and systematic attack by the Serb Army, police and paramilitary groups directed against the Bosniac civilian population in the area of Visegrad between April and July 1992. The panel, however, found the accused not guilty of participation in attacks on villages Zljieb, Velji Lug and Kuka (municipality of Visegrad), illegal arrests and confinement, murder, rape, torture and infliction of serious injury or physical suffering to, and seizure of property of confined Bosniak civilians in the area of Visegrad between April and July 1992.
    sentencing
    At first instance Simsic was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment. This, however, was increased to 14 year by the Appellate Panel.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 5 January 2007, the Appellate Panel rendered a decision upholding the appeals filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and Defense and revoking the Trial Panel’s verdict. The same decision orders a retrial before the Appellate Panel. On 14 August 2007, the Appellate Panel handed down the final verdict finding Simsic guilty of persecution as a crime against humanity, including sexual violence and sentencing him to 14 years’ imprisonment. The Appellate Panel found that in the second half of June 1992, as a guard securing several hundred detained Bosniak civilians in the Hasan Veletovac Elementary School, together with other members of the Serb army, police, and paramilitary formations, Simsic participated in killings, enforced disappearance, and torture of detainees. He also aided in the coercing of girls and young women to sexual intercourse. In addition, on several occasions, Simsic took girls and younger women to other members of the Serb army who perpetrated multiple rapes, beatings and humiliation on them. Simsic was acquitted of the count which alleged that, on an undetermined date in the second half of June 1992, he took five girls and five younger women from the room in which Bosniak civilians were detained in the Fire Station in Visegrad, moving them to another room where, together with two Serb soldiers, he beat them and took turns raping them.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRZ-05/04

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Dragan Damjanovic

    Year
    2007
    Issues
    Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Rape Bosnian Muslim Population Sexual Violence

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/983
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Dragan Damjanovic
    Charges
    Damjanovic was charged (confirmed on 29 March 2006) with crimes against humanity, including rape and other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity, committed between July 1992 and January 1993, during a widespread and systematic attack of the Republika Srpska Army directed against the Bosnian Muslims living in the Vogosca area, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 15 December 2006, the Trial Panel found Damjanovic guilty of crimes against humanity, including rape, including for breaking into the house of a married couple, in September 1992 together with two others, where they harassed and beat them. Damjanovic then raped the wife.
    sentencing
    Damjanovic was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment
    Appeals chamber verdict
    Conviction upheld on appeal on 13 June 2007.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRZ-05/51

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Gojko Jankovic

    Year
    2007
    Issues
    Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Rape Sexual Slavery Sexual Violence Coercion

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/1027
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Gojko Jankovic
    Charges
    The Court of BiH confirmed the indictment against Jankovic on 20 February 2006 in which he was charged with crimes against humanity, including imprisonment, torture and rape (Articles 172(1) (e), (f) and (g) of the Criminal Code of BiH) under Article 180(1) of the Criminal Code of BiH (addressing individual and command responsibility criminal responsibility).
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 16 February 2007, the Trial Panel of the Court of BiH found Jankovic guilty of crimes against humanity, including rape. In pronouncing its verdict, the Trial Panel stated that in July 1992, Jankovic commanded a group of soldiers who attacked Muslim civilians hiding in the forest in the Kremnik hill. On several occasions between mid-June 1992 and January 1993, Jankovic raped female detainees and, together with Dragoljub Kunarac, he kept two of them in sexual slavery throughout this period.
    sentencing
    The Trial Judgment sentence of 34 years' imprisonment remained intact.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 23 October 2007, the Appellate Panel partially upheld the defense appeal, and modified the Trial Panel’s verdict in the legal qualification of the acts constituting crimes against humanity. It acquitted Jankovic of the charge that, on several occasions between 7 April and the end of May 1992, Jankovic and one more person raped or took part in the raping of protected witness E who lived in the municipality of Foca.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRZ-05/191

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Jadranko Palija

    Year
    2008
    Issues
    Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Rape Sexual Threats

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/1085
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Jadranko Palija
    Charges
    Palija was charged on 5 January 2007 (indictment confirmed) with:- War crimes against civilians; and- Crimes against humanity, including rape (Article 172(1) (g) of the Criminal Code of BiH), under Article 180(1) (individual criminal responsibility) of the Criminal Code of BiH, aimed against the Bosniak and Croatian civilian populations of the Bosanska Krajina region, including the Sanski Most Municipality. According to the indictment, on an unknown date in the summer of 1992, Palija went to a house in the Muhici Street in Sanski Most, where he found two women and two children. He allegedly intimidated them by telling them that their life in Sanski Most was worthless. He then took one of the women to another part of the house where he raped her threatening her with a pistol.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 28 November 2007 the Trial Panel rendered the first-instance verdict finding Palija guilty of crimes against humanity, including rape (the incident described above) and war crimes against civilians.
    sentencing
    Palija received a sentence of 28 years’ imprisonment.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 24 April 2008, the Appellate Panel upheld the conviction and sentence.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRZ-06/290

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Veiz Bjelic

    Year
    2008
    Issues
    Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Rape Prisoners of War Plea Agreement

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/975
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Veiz Bjelic
    Charges
    Bjelic was charged with: - War crimes against civilians, including rape (Article 173(1)(e) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina), under Article 180(1) (individual criminal responsibility) of CC BiH, for “taking advantage of the time when he was on duty and guarding the prisoners, the accused raped the injured party Anda Obradovic several times, in the way that he would take her out of the stable which was closed during night hours, so that the other prisoners and the guards who were in the same shift would not see that, he raped her behind the stable in an improvised guard box, and then threatened her that he would kill her should she tell anyone about that”.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 28 March 2008, after consideration and acceptance of a plea agreement, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered the first-instance verdict by which Bjelic was found guilty of the criminal offenses of war crimes against civilians, including rape (based on the incident described above) and war crimes against prisoners of war.
    sentencing
    Bjelic was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KR-07/430-1

  • Literature

    Gallimore, Rangira B. - Militarism, Ethnicity and Sexual Violence...

    Year
    2008
    Issues
    Socio-cultural Context of Sexual Violence
    Country
    Rwanda
    Keywords
    Rape Hutu Militia Masculinity Ethnicity

    Reference link
    http://www.agi.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/429/feminist_africa_journals/archive/10/fa_10_feature_article_1.pdf
    Full reference
    Gallimore, Rangira Béa, "Militarism, Ethnicity and Sexual Violence in the Rwandan Genocide", in Feminist Africa, 2008, vol. 10, pp. 9-29.
    Type of literature
    Journal Article
    Research focus
    Causality, Functionality and Logic of Conflict-related Sexual Violence
    Author
    Gallimore, Rangira B.

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber) - Dusko Knezevic (“Mejakic et al.”)

    Year
    2009
    Issues
    Modes of Liability
    Country
    Bosnia Herzegovina
    Keywords
    Rape Sexual Violence Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) Persecution on Sexual Grounds Camp

    Reference link
    http://www.internationalcrimesdatabase.org/Case/1063
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (War Crimes Chamber)
    Name of accused
    Dusko Knezevic
    Charges
    Knezevic was indicted on 14 July 2006 (indictment confirmed) for charges of crimes against humanity, including sexual violence (rape and other forms of sexual abuse) (Article 172(g) of the Criminal Code of BiH), under Articles 29 (accomplice) and 180(1) (individual responsibility) of CC BiH. Knezevic participated in abuses and persecutions committed during the period from 30 April to the end of 1992 against the non-Serbs in the territory of the Prijedor municipality; about 7000 non-Serb civilians were subjected to capturing, taking to and arbitrary confinement at the Omarska and Keraterm camps, as part of the plan of permanent removal of the non-Serbs.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 30 May 2008, the Trial Panel found Knezevic guilty of crimes against humanity, including sexual violence (rape and other forms of sexual abuse), under Article 180(1), for: “rape and other forms of sexual abuse of the detainees directly or personally committed by persons other than Dusko Knezevic but in furtherance of the described system of ill-treatment and persecution at the camp in which he participated, including witness K019 who was raped on numerous occasions by the camp guards; witness K027 who was sexually assaulted by the shift Commander Mlado Radic and in July 1992 by Nedeljko Grabovac; witness K040 who was sexually abused twice by camp guard Lugar.” These events related to the Omarska camp. In addition, Knezevic was also found guilty of sexual violence committed in Keraterm camp
    sentencing
    Knezevic was sentenced to 31 years’ imprisonment.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 16 February 2009, Knezevic's conviction and sentence was upheld on appeal. However, the mode of liability was changed from Article 180(1) to liability on the grounds of JCE.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    X-KRŽ-06/200

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