A German court in Munich has handed an Iraqi husband and wife harsh sentences after they enslaved two Yazidi girls, repeatedly raped them and forced them to do household chores and child‑care, all while denying them the right to practice their religion.
The husband, known only as Twana H.S. because of German privacy rules, was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and severe sexual abuse of children. His wife, Asia R. A., received a nine‑and‑a‑quarter‑year term – the court also found that she was under 21 when the crimes were committed.
Prosecutors say the couple bought a five‑year‑old Yazidi girl at a Mosul bazaar in 2015 and a twelve‑year‑old in early 2017. The couple insisted the girls do household work, barred them from practising Islam and repeatedly physically abused them – including scalding one girl’s hand with hot water.
The case highlights Germany’s legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the country to prosecute war‑crimes committed abroad. The trial was a stark reminder of the Yazidis’ suffering at the hands of the Islamic State, who aimed to destroy the Yazidi religion.
In a final statement, Asia R. A. apologised, saying “I’m sorry,” while her husband refused to speak in court. The second girl is still missing, underlining how many Yazidi victims remain unaccounted for even years after the conflict.
