The sexual slavery perpetrated by the islamic state against Yazidi women and the challenges for accountability

Abstract

This article problematizes, through the case study and activism of Nadia Murad, the complex accountability of members of the Islamic State, both locally and internationally. She, like other victims, was subjected to conditions of sexual slavery. The methodology is inductive, based on collections from the global United Nations system, doctrine, and jurisprudence. The partial results demonstrate the connection between the crimes of human trafficking, terrorism, and sexual violence. The contribution of this study analyzes the exercise of jus puniendi by the German state, which, through international cooperation, invoked the principle of universal jurisdiction for the recognition of the Yazidi genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. However, tackling sexual slavery requires States to adopt a new, more protective approach that goes beyond mitigating violence, also promoting reparation and care for surviving victims.