GERMANY – On Monday, Germany’s federal prosecutor announced that an Iraqi couple has been indicted on serious charges, including enslavement, torture, and war crimes. The couple is accused of holding two young Yazidi girls in captivity, subjecting them to sexual and physical abuse.

The defendants, referred to as Twana H.S. and Asia R.A. to protect their privacy under German law, were apprehended in Bavaria back in April. According to the prosecutor, they were affiliated with the Islamic State group in both Iraq and Syria during the period from October 2015 to December 2017.

The alleged crimes began in late 2015 when they purportedly enslaved a 5-year-old Yazidi girl, followed by a 12-year-old girl from October 2017 onwards. Prosecutors assert that the man engaged in repeated rape of both minors, while the woman is accused of preparing a room for one of the girls and applying makeup on her.

The allegations further detail that the couple inflicted “harsh physical violence” upon the victims, who were stripped of their right to practice their religion and made to perform household chores and care for others. Instances of abuse include the man allegedly striking the older girl with a broomstick and the woman reportedly burning the younger girl’s hand with hot water. They also forced both children to endure punishments such as standing on one leg for extended periods.

According to the prosecutor’s statement, prior to their departure from Syria in November 2017, the couple transferred custody of the girls to other members of the Islamic State. The prosecutor emphasized that these actions were part of the organization’s broader objective to eliminate the Yazidi faith.