Sexual Violence Against Children under Fifteen Years in the Case Lubanga: Critical Analysis and a Proposed Solution

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.12804/anidip02.01.2014.04

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Published: Mar 5, 2021
Updated: 2021-03-05
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2021-03-05 (2)
Issue: No. 2 (2014)
Section ESSAY RESEARCH SECTION


Keywords: Caso Lubanga , participación activa en las hostilidades , niños soldados , crímenes sexuales , invisibilidad , derechos del imputado , principio de legalidad , nullum crimen sine lege , Corte Penal Internacional , reclutamiento. Lubanga Case , active participation in hostilities , child soldiers , sexual violence , invisibility , rights of the accused , principle of legality , nullum crimen sine lege , International Criminal Court , recruitment Caso Lubanga , Participação ativa nas hostilidades , Crianças-soldado , Crimes sexuais , Invisibilidade , Direitos do imputad , Princípio da Legalidade , Nullum crimen sine lege , Tribunal Penal Internacional , Recrutamento

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Authors

Leandro Alberto Dias DeCyT
Abstract
One of the most controversial issues that the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court had to decide in their judgment against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was the legal treatment of the acts of sexual violence committed during the armed conflict of Ituri. This was a challenging aspect because the Prosecutor had previously decided not to present charges based on sex crimes. On the contrary, he mostly focused his prosecutorial strategy on the war crimes of conscripting, enlisting children under the age of fifteen years or using them to participate actively in hostilities. Facing that situation, the majority of the Trial Chamber I decided not to analyse the issue, while judge Elizabeth Odio Benito took up this point and considered that acts of sexual violence constitute an active participation in hostilities. In this essay I will critically analyse both opinions with the aim of offering an alternative explanation. The latter could be read as follows: despite the fact that acts of sexual violence were not included in the charges, they are covered by the conducts of conscripting or enlisting.
Author Biography

Leandro Alberto Dias, DeCyT

Lawyer, University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Teacher of the faculty of Law (UBA) in the subject Elements of Criminal and Procedural Criminal Law (Chair prof. Dr. h.c. Marcelo A. Sancinett). Researcher, student, and scholar DeCyT (2012-2014 Programming ) Researcher, student, and scholar CIN ( 2012 and 2013 Tenders).

How to Cite
Dias, L. A. (2021). Sexual Violence Against Children under Fifteen Years in the Case Lubanga: Critical Analysis and a Proposed Solution. Anuario Iberoamericano De Derecho Internacional Penal, 2(2), 103–132. https://doi.org/10.12804/anidip02.01.2014.04 (Original work published October 30, 2014)
References

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