The Child in ICC Proceedings Helen Beckmann-Hamzei
Cambridge – Antwerp - Portland
4
Intersentia Ltd
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Helen Beckmann-Hamzei The Child in ICC Proceedings
ISBN 978-1-78068-339-3 D/2015/7849/103
NUR 828
Cover image: Clara Constanze Otto (2015)
© 2015 Intersentia
www.intersentia.com | www.intersentia.co.uk
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A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
Generous funding from the Gieskes foundation paved the way for this seven-year study on child participation in the proceedings before the International Criminal Court which was carried out at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies, Leiden University.
Being part of the department of Public International Law provided me with the opportunity to discuss the many questions I was confronted with during my research but also enabled me, as a lecturer, to have plenty of fruitful exchanges in the Bachelor and Master programmes. I would therefore like to thank all my colleagues and students for providing me with numerous insights and such valuable feedback. I have always experienced the combination of research and teaching as extremely helpful in developing my own thoughts and views. The wonderful opportunity to spend time at with the Office of Public Council for Victims at the ICC constituted a significant period which enabled me to see the constraints children face when participating in proceedings. Furthermore, the possibility to participate in numerous national and international conferences alongside my teaching obligations enabled me to discuss the topic with many experts in the field far beyond Leiden and the Netherlands.
I am particularly thankful to three persons who accompanied me on my path during the past years. The inspiration and enthusiasm of Karel Wellens triggered and encouraged me to apply for the PhD position at Leiden University. Liesbeth Zegveld’s faith in me and her mentoring as my ‘Doktormutter’, and Larissa van den Herik’s support as my daily supervisor constitute the core pillars of this research project. The numerous meetings in Amsterdam and Leiden always provided me with what I needed and beyond, in order to successfully bring this project to a conclusion.
Words cannot describe how lucky I am to be part of my family and that of Johannes.
Thank you for being my fellows in life and being with me on my journey throughout this research project. Most of all, I am thankful to Johannes for being there, taking me as I am and sharing joy and challenges every single day with me.
Our children are our future. Since we are so blessed to live in a place where children can grow up without being threatened by any form of armed conflict or large-scale violence, I dedicate this book to all children who find themselves in less child-friendly environments. May this book contribute to the strengthening of their procedural status and encourage adults to implement child-friendly justice.
June 2015
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C ONTENTS
Acknowledgments v
Contents vii
List of Abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 3
Introduction 3
1.1 Introductory observations on the child in international law 3
1.2 The child and the ICC 6
1.3 Research aim, statement of the problem and research questions 8
1.4 Terminology and concepts 11
1.4.1 The child in ICC proceedings 11
1.4.2 Childhood 13
1.4.3 The particular vulnerability of the child 15 1.4.4 The best interests of the child and child-sensitive procedures 16
1.4.5 The evolving capacities of the child 19
1.5 Methodology 20
1.5.1 Sources and approach 20
1.5.2 Relevance of human rights law in ICC proceedings 23
1.6 Structure of the thesis 26
Part I 29
The Child in International Criminal Proceedings 29
Chapter 2 31
The Child Witness 31
2.1 Introduction 31
2.2 Child witnesses in international criminal proceedings 33 2.3 Rules governing witness testimony during trial proceedings 36 2.4 Ability to provide informed consent and the protection of the child
witness 38
Contents
2.4.1 Informed consent of the child witness 38
2.4.2 Protection of the child witness 44
2.5 Credibility 52
2.5.1 Factors influencing the credibility of the child witness 53
2.5.1.1 Trustworthiness of the child witness 53
2.5.1.2 Impact of conflict situations and trauma 62
2.5.2 Measures enhancing credibility 67
2.5.2.1 Witness familiarisation 67
2.5.3.2 Age determination 71
2.6 Conclusion 77
Chapter 3 79
The Child Victim 79
3.1 Introduction 79
3.2 Views on victim participation 80
3.3 Child victim participation in icc practice 81 3.4 Application of victim requirements to the child 83
3.4.1 Natural person 85
3.4.2 Harm 85
3.4.3 The jurisdiction criterion 86
3.4.4 The causality criterion 87
3.4.5 The evidentiary standard used 88
3.5 Children applying for participation 91
3.5.1 Legal competence of the child to apply for participation 93
3.5.2 Child-specific evidence 99
3.5.3 Categories of child applicants 103
3.6 General modalities of participation 115
3.7 Child-specific modalities of participation:
the representation of the child 118
3.7.1 General rules governing the representation of victims 118
3.7.2 Representation of the child 121
3.7.3 Children expressing their views and concerns in the courtroom 126 3.7.4 Legal aid for the representation of the child 133
3.8 Conclusion 135
Chapter 4 137
The Child Perpetrator and the Child of a(n) (alleged) Perpetrator 137
4.1 Introduction 137
4.2 Recruitment of child soldiers 138
4.3 Prosecuting the child 139
4.4 Being the child of a(n) (alleged) perpetrator 143
4.5 Conclusion 147
Contents
ix
Part II 149
The Child in International Reparation Practice 149
Chapter 5 151
The Child Claimant 151
5.1 Introduction 151
5.2 The child as beneficiary of the right to reparations 153 5.3 Rules and practice governing reparation proceedings 161 5.4 Children claiming reparations before the ICC:
current and future challenges 169
5.4.1 Forms of reparations 174
5.4.2 Eligibility 188
5.4.3 Implementation 192
5.5 Conclusion 198
Part III 201
Concluding and Comparative Evaluation 201
Chapter 6 203
Evaluation and Future Perspectives 203
6.1 Introduction 203
6.2 Evaluation 204
6.2.1 Legal capacity of the child 204
6.2.2 Informed consent of the child 207
6.2.3 Age of the child 209
6.2.4 Protection of the child 211
6.2.5 Credibility of the child 211
6.3 Principal relevance of child participation 213 6.4 Final recommendations and need for further research on child
participation in international criminal and reparation proceedings 215
Summary 223
Samenvatting 229
Selected Bibliography 235
Overview of Legislation 275
Overview of Cases 279
Curriculum Vitae 292
xi
L IST OF A BBREVIATIONS
ACHR American Convention on Human Rights
ACHPR African Convention on Human and Peoples’ Rights ACRWC African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child AFRC Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
AIDS Behav Aids and Behavior
AJIL American Journal of International Law Am. J. Dis. Child American Journal of Diseases of Children
Annals, AAPSS Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
ASP Assembly of States Parties
Beijing Rules UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice
Br J Psychiatry British Journal of Psychiatry Br Med J British Medical Journal
Can J Nurs Res Canadian Journal of Nursing Research
CAT Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination against Women
Child Dev. Child Development
CMLR Common Market Law Review
COE Council of Europe
Colum. L. Rev. Columbia Law Review
CRC UN Convention on the Rights of the Child CRC Committee UN Committee on the Rights of the Child DDR Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo
ECCC Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia ECHR European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms
ECOSOC United Nations Economic and Social Council ECtHR European Court of Human Rights
EJIL European Journal of International Law
ETS European Treaty Series
FIDH Fédération Internationale des ligues des Droits de l’Homme
FORDHAM INT’L L.J. Fordham International Law Journal
List of Abbreviations
xii
GA United Nations General Assembly
GC General Comment of the CRC Committee
GYIL German Yearbook of International Law
HRC Human Rights Committee
HRLR Human Rights Law Review
HRQ Human Rights Quarterly
IACHR Inter-American Court of Human Rights
ICC International Criminal Court
ICC Statute Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (see also, Rome Statute)
ICCPR International Covenant on Civil, and Political Rights ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights
ICJ International Court of Justice
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
ICTR Statute Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ICTY International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia
ICTY Statute Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
IDP Internally displaced persons
ILM International Legal Materials
INT J. Child Right International Journal of Children’s Rights Int J Ment Health International Journal of Mental Health Int J Refugee Law International Journal of Refugee Law IJTJ International Journal of Transitional Justice Int. Rev. Psychiatry International Review of Psychiatry
ISIL Indian Society of International Law ISQ International Studies Quarterly IRRC International Review of the Red Cross J CLIN PSYCHIAT Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
J Int Criminal Justice Journal of International Criminal Justice
JILPAC Journal of International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict J. Traum. Stress Journal of Traumatic Stress
JPCH Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
JPR Journal of Peace Research
JRS Journal of Refugee Studies
LJIL Leiden Journal of International Law Med Confl Surviv Journal of Medicine, Conflict and Survival
MONUC United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
N Engl J Med New England Journal of Medicine
Neth.Y.B.I.L. Netherlands Yearbook of International Law OAU Organization of African Unity
List of Abbreviations
xiii OPCV Office of Public Counsel for Victims
OTP Office of the Prosecutor
PCIJ Permanent Court of International Justice PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder
RES United Nations Resolution
RICR Revue international de la Croix-Rouge
Rome Statute Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (see also, ICC Statute)
RPE Rules of Procedure and Evidence
SC United Nations Security Council
SCSL Special Court for Sierra Leone
TFV Trust Fund for Victims
TIL The International Lawyer
TRC(s) Truth and Reconciliation Commission(s) UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UN United Nations
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNTS United Nations Treaty Series
US United States
VPRS Victims Participation and Reparation Section
VWU Victims and Witnesses Unit
Yb Yearbook
YIHL Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law
