Sexual Crimes in Conflict Database

A collection of relevant literature and case law

Showing all 7 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

    Guatemala, High Impact Court ‘A’ - Efraín Ríos Montt (“Montt and Menchu”)

    Issues
    Socio-cultural Context of Sexual Violence Procedural Rules Advancing Sexual Violence Prosecutions Achievements and Challenges of Sexual Violence Prosecution Sentencing and Reparations Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War
    Country
    Guatemala
    Keywords
    Ethnic Cleansing Spoil of War Retrial Indigenous Population Mental Incapacity of Accused

    Reference link
    http://www.ijmonitor.org/2018/04/the-legacy-of-rios-montt-guatemalas-most-notorious-war-criminal/
    Type of mechanism
    Domestic court
    Name of mechanism
    Guatemalan High Impact Court 'A', Constitutional Court
    Name of accused
    Efraín Ríos Montt
    Charges
    Montt was charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, under command responsibility.
    Trial chamber verdict
    On 10 May 2013 he was found guilty by a Guatemalan trial court (High Impact Court ‘A’) of genocide and crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, under command responsibility. The conviction was for crimes committed against Guatemala’s Maya Ixil indigenous population during Montt’s 17-month rule in 1982 and 1983. According to the Court, women were raped, not only as the ‘spoils of war’, but as part of the systematic and intentional plan to destroy the Ixil ethnic group by exercising violence on women’s bodies as a way to destroy the social fabric and thereby ensure the destruction of the Ixil population. Specific reference was made to the testimony of one woman, who narrated how she was raped by more than 20 soldiers while she was held prisoner in a military base. The tribunal noted that sexual violence results in pain and suffering that is still experienced by many of the women, and that the violence has an inter-generational effect, noting that women reproduce life as well as culture.
    sentencing
    At first instance only: Montt, 86 years old, was sentenced to 80 years in prison (50 years for genocide and 30 years for crimes against humanity, served consecutively). Furthermore, as part of the reparation requirements, the judges ordered personal apologies to be made to the survivors of sexual violence.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    However, on 20 May 2013, Guatemala’s Constitutional Court annulled the trial judgment on procedural grounds and a retrial was subsequently ordered. In 2014, the retrial was suspended when the defense sought the removal of one of the judges on the case. On 11 January 2016, the retrial was suspended again for the court to resolve outstanding legal petitions. The hearing was held behind closed doors and Montt did not attend because of ‘mental incapacity’, which the court had decided he was suffering from in 2015 already. On 1 April, 2018, the lawyer of Ríos Montt reported that he had died of a heart failure.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    Exp 1904-2013

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Franko Simatovic ("Stanisic & Simatovic")

    Year
    2015
    Issues
    Definitions/Elements of Sexual Violence Crimes
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Acquittal Retrial

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/777/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Franko Simatovic
    Charges
    Simatovic was charged with several sexual violence crimes – i.e. persecution as a crime against humanity, deportation as a crime against humanity and inhumane acts (forcible transfer) as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) for the unlawful forcible transfer or deportation to other countries or other areas inside the country, which included rapes and other forms of sexual abuse of Croat, Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb civilians from locations in the SAO Krajina, SAO SBWS and territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which they were lawfully present.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Simatovic was found not guilty by the Trial Chamber on 30 May 2013 on all charges, thus including the sexual violence crimes charged.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 15 December 2015, the Appeals Chamber ordered a retrial of the case against Simatovic (and Stanisic).
    Status
    2778
    Case number
    IT-03-69

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Idriz Balaj ("Haradinaj et al.")

    Year
    2012
    Issues
    Evidentiary Rules Regarding Sexual Violence Prosecutions Sexual Violence against Men
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Acquittal Aiding and Abetting Forced Nudity Genitalia Ordering/Instigating Kunarac Unreliable Testimony Retrial

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/698/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Idriz Balaj
    Charges
    Balaj was charged with: - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture and other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity and cruel treatment, torture and outrages upon personal dignity as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE), which included the stripping of Witness SST7/38 naked and the sexual assault of Witness SST7/38’s sister. - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture and other inhumane acts (serious physical and mental injury) as crimes against humanity and cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, committing, planning or aiding and abetting), which included kicking Naser Lika in the testicles while he lay on the ground. - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture, rape and other inhumane acts (serious physical and mental injury) as crimes against humanity, rape as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, committing or planning), which included the repeated rape of Witness SST7/02 and Witness 61.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Although Balaj was charged with sexual violence crimes, he was acquitted on all charges against him by the Trial Chamber on 3 April 2008, which thus includes the sexual violence charges stipulated above.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The Appeals Chamber on 19 July 2010 quashed the Trial Chamber’s decision to acquit Balaj on several charges, including the charge of cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, committing, planning or aiding and abetting), which included kicking Naser Lika in the testicles while he lay on the ground, and ordered that Balaj be retried on this charge. The Appeals Chamber confirmed the acquittals for the other sexual violence charges. Balaj was acquitted by the Trial Chamber on 29 November 2012 after retrial.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-04-84

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Jovica Stanisic ("Stanisic & Simatovic")

    Year
    2015
    Issues
    Definitions/Elements of Sexual Violence Crimes
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Acquittal Retrial

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/777/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Jovica Stanisic
    Charges
    Stanisic was charged with several sexual violence crimes – i.e. persecution as a crime against humanity, deportation as a crime against humanity and inhumane acts (forcible transfer) as a crime against humanity under Article 7(1) for the unlawful forcible transfer or deportation to other countries or other areas inside the country, which included rapes and other forms of sexual abuse of Croat, Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb civilians from locations in the SAO Krajina, SAO SBWS and territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which they were lawfully present.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Stanisic was found not guilty by the Trial Chamber on 30 May 2013 on all charges, thus including the sexual violence crimes charged.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    On 15 December 2015, the Appeals Chamber ordered a retrial of the case against Stanisic (and Simatovic).
    Status
    2778
    Case number
    IT-03-69

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Lahi Brahimaj ("Haradinaj et al.")

    Year
    2012
    Issues
    Sexual Violence against Men Evidentiary Rules Regarding Sexual Violence Prosecutions
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Acquittal Aiding and Abetting Forced Nudity Genitalia Kunarac Ordering/Instigating Retrial Unreliable Testimony

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/698/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Lahi Brahimaj
    Charges
    Brahimaj was charged with: - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture and other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity and cruel treatment, torture and outrages upon personal dignity as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE), which included the stripping of Witness SST7/38 naked and the sexual assault of Witness SST7/38’s sister. - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture and other inhumane acts (serious physical and mental injury) as crimes against humanity and cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, committing, planning or aiding and abetting), which included kicking Naser Lika in the testicles while he lay on the ground. - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture, rape and other inhumane acts (serious physical and mental injury) as crimes against humanity, rape as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE), which included the repeated rape of Witness SST7/02 and Witness 61.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Although Brahimaj was charged with sexual violence crimes, he was found, by the Trial Chamber on 3 April 2008, not guilty of the charges of sexual violence against him.
    sentencing
    Brahimaj was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment (for other charges).
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The Appeals Chamber on 19 July 2010 quashed the Trial Chamber’s decision to hold Brahimaj not guilty on several charges, including the charge of cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, committing, planning or aiding and abetting), which included kicking Naser Lika in the testicles while he lay on the ground, and ordered that Brahimaj be retried on this charge. The Appeals Chamber confirmed the acquittals for the other sexual violence charges. He was acquitted by the Trial Chamber on 29 November 2012 for the charges in the re-trial indictment and thus for the remaining sexual violence charge.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-04-84

  • Jurisprudence judicial mechanism

    ICTY - Ramush Haradinaj ("Haradinaj et al.")

    Year
    2012
    Issues
    Definitions/Elements of Sexual Violence Crimes Evidentiary Rules Regarding Sexual Violence Prosecutions
    Country
    Former Yugoslavia
    Keywords
    Acquittal Aiding and Abetting Forced Nudity Genitalia Kunarac Unreliable Testimony Retrial

    Reference link
    http://www.icty.org/cases/party/698/4
    Type of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal/Court
    Name of mechanism
    International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
    Name of accused
    Ramush Haradinaj
    Charges
    Haradinaj was charged with: - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture and other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity and cruel treatment, torture and outrages upon personal dignity as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, ordering, instigating or aiding and abetting), which included the stripping of Witness SST7/38 naked and the sexual assault of Witness SST7/38’s sister. - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture and other inhumane acts (serious physical and mental injury) as crimes against humanity and cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, ordering, instigating or aiding and abetting), which included kicking Naser Lika in the testicles while he lay on the ground. - Persecution as a crime against humanity or, in the alternative, torture, rape and other inhumane acts (serious physical and mental injury) as crimes against humanity, rape as a violation of the laws or customs of war as a war crime and cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE), which included the repeated rape of Witness SST7/02.
    Trial chamber verdict
    Although Haradinaj was charged with sexual violence crimes, he was acquitted on all charges against him by the Trial Chamber on 3 April 2008, thus all of the sexual violence charges stipulated above.
    Appeals chamber verdict
    The Appeals Chamber on 19 July 2010 quashed the Trial Chamber’s decision to acquit Haradinaj on several charges, including the charge of cruel treatment and torture as violations of the laws or customs of war as a war crime under Article 7(1) (JCE or, in the alternative, ordering, instigating or aiding and abetting), which included kicking Naser Lika in the testicles while he lay on the ground, and ordered that Haradinaj be retried on this charge. The Appeals Chamber confirmed the acquittals for the other sexual violence charges. Haradinaj was acquitted by the Trial Chamber on 29 November 2012 after retrial.
    Status
    2715
    Case number
    IT-04-84

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