A German woman, identified as Jennifer W., has expressed remorse at a resentencing hearing for her role in the death of a 5-year-old Yazidi girl she and her husband enslaved while affiliated with ISIS in Iraq. The Munich court is revisiting her original 10-year sentence after a higher court ordered reconsideration, potentially leading to a harsher penalty, including life imprisonment.
Jennifer W. and her husband, Taha Al-J., were accused of leaving the young girl chained and exposed to the elements, resulting in her death by dehydration. While the initial trial found her inaction contributed to the tragedy, the Federal Court of Justice determined the original sentencing overlooked aggravating factors and misclassified the severity of the crime against humanity. German law allows for a life sentence when a defendant's actions directly cause death.
In a statement read by her lawyer, Jennifer W. accepted responsibility for the girl's death, expressing regret for what transpired. She acknowledged the validity of the original conviction and withdrew previous qualifications and disputes made during her initial trial. The resentencing hearing is scheduled for multiple sessions, with a final decision expected by late August.
Jennifer W. was apprehended in 2016 at the German Embassy in Ankara while attempting to renew her identification documents and subsequently deported to Germany. Her former husband, Taha Al-J., was convicted in a separate Frankfurt court proceeding and received a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and causing bodily harm resulting in death.
