Legal protection for child victims of rape during armed conflicts in accordance with international agreements and Iraqi laws

Abstract

Abstract : The world is constantly witnessing international and internal wars. Women and children have been and continue to bear the brunt of the damage and crimes resulting from these wars. Among the crimes women face during armed conflicts are sexual violence in general and rape in particular. This violence is brutally perpetrated for specific purposes, including ethnic cleansing, revenge, and spreading fear and terror among women. For this reason, the international community, especially in recent decades, has paid great attention to protecting women and girls during armed conflicts. However, it has overlooked the situation of children born as a result of these attacks, as there is, to this day, no international agreement specifically addressing the status of these children and how to protect them as victims of wars and armed conflicts. There is no doubt that a firm and serious response by the international community can have a positive impact in preventing the commission of these inhumane acts in the future. During our research, we concluded that it is necessary to establish an international agreement and specific domestic laws for these children that protect their rights, compensate them for the damages they have suffered, and punish the perpetrators of these crimes with the strictest legal penalties.