Yazidi Teenage Girls: "Victims of ISIS Sexual Slavery"

In a recent report published on October 24, Amnesty International states that girls from the Yazidi minority in Iraq have been subjected to sexual slavery by the forces of the "Islamic State"; many of them were 14, 15, or even younger, and some have committed suicide. This report is based on the observations and testimonies of victims or their relatives. Donatella Rovera, Senior Advisor for Crisis Response at Amnesty International, described what happened to Yazidi girls and women at the hands of the "Islamic State" as "catastrophic." According to Ms. Rovera, many of these girls were 14 or 15 years old or even younger. Many of them have committed suicide or attempted to do so. Furthermore, not only members of the Islamic State group but also their supporters have been involved in the rape of girls and women. Randa, a 16-year-old girl who was raped by a man twice her age, told Amnesty International, "What happened to me and my family is very painful." Wafa, a 27-year-old Yazidi woman, recounted her and her sister's suicide attempt, which was unsuccessful but left her unable to speak for days. Another girl recounted her cellmate's story, when they were ordered to wash themselves, dress nicely, and prepare. This girl, who managed to escape from the "Islamic State" forces, said her cellmate cut her veins in the bathroom and hanged herself; "I think she knew a man was coming for her. That's why she killed herself." According to Donatella Rovera, many of the captured Yazidi girls have been tortured, and militants treated them as property. AFP quoted this senior Amnesty official stating that even those who were rescued are "deeply traumatized." The "Islamic State" militants are engaged in battles with the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Meanwhile, a coalition led by the United States is conducting airstrikes against their positions and forces in Iraq and Syria. Yazidis in Iraq were displaced in the mountains for months last summer after attacks by Islamist militants in the Sinjar region. In recent days, Peshmerga forces have managed to liberate significant parts of the Sinjar region from "ISIS" control. Earlier reports had also indicated that "Islamic State" forces had abducted Yazidi women and girls and raped them. In this context, heavy clashes between Peshmerga and ISIS occurred in the city of Sinjar.