Prosecuting ISIS for the sexual slavery of the Yazidi women and girls

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe crime of sexual slavery committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) against Yazidi women and girls is of such an extreme nature that prosecution should be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. After discussing the international legal regime that prohibits sexual slavery, this article explains the different routes that can be taken through National Truth Commissions and Courts, in courts of third states and in the International Criminal Court to bring justice to the victims. It shows that each route has its advantages and challenges, but that the seriousness and the scale of the crime may require a prosecution model that features the coordinated and complementary efforts of the courts across all three levels.