German Woman Convicted of a Crime Against Humanity in Death of Yazidi Child

Amal Clooney, a human rights lawyer who was part of a legal team representing the child’s mother in the case, welcomed the conviction, the fifth time that a German court found a former member of the Islamic State guilty of crimes against humanity in connection with their treatment of Yazidi victims.

“It is a significant milestone for my client, a remarkably brave woman who lost her child in brutal conditions,” Clooney said in a statement. “And it is a victory for everyone who believes in justice. I am grateful to the German prosecutors for bringing this case and I hope that we will see a more concerted global effort to bring ISIS to justice.”

The presiding judge, Joachim Baier, found the defendant guilty of belonging to a terrorist organization abroad, as well as aiding and abetting attempted murder and a crime against humanity resulting in death. The child was left “helpless and defenseless,” in the direct sunlight, and the defendant did not help the girl, although that would have been “possible and expected,” he said in his ruling.

The girl’s mother, who is part of a witness-protection program and whose identity has not been revealed out of concern for her safety, testified that as she realized what was happening to her child, she began crying in distress. She told the court that in response, Jennifer W. had threatened to shoot her if she did not stop.

Jennifer W. looked shocked when the verdict was announced, staring first at her hands and then at the ceiling as the judge read out the ruling, German news media reported. She had denied the charges, insisting that she was powerless to intervene against her husband, a member of the Islamic State, who had decided to punish the girl by chaining her in the courtyard of the couple’s home in Falluja.

On the day of the girl’s death in August, the husband forced the child outside, restrained her and left her without water or protection from the searing heat.