Children Born of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Conflict: Exploring the Boundaries of International Criminal Law

Abstract

Thousands of children have been born as a result of sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated in recent conflicts, often discriminated against in their own societies. Despite the fact that these children are born out of crimes international criminal law has been designed to punish and redress, these children have received limited attention in the international criminal arena. This paper addresses this gap by arguing that international criminal law has the symbolic and reparative potential to respond to the plight of these children and that peace agreements should be used to complement any criminal justice response; thus, ensuring that such children are integrated into their post-conflict societies.

Keywords: Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, International Criminal Law, Peace Agreements