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Islamic State jihadists reportedly forcing virgins from Yazidi minority in Iraq into sex slavery

Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, who fled the violence in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, march in a demonstration at the Iraqi-Turkish border Photo: YOUSSEF BOUDLAL/REUTERS

By Ruth Sherlock, Middle East Correspondent

6:45PM BST 18 Oct 2014

Islamic State (Isil) jihadists separated virgin women from the Yazidi minority sect in Iraq to take as sex slaves, according to a group that monitors Isil in Syria.

Earlier this month, Isil's English-language online magazine Dabiq confirmed rumours that "thousands" of Yazidi woman and girls had been kidnapped and kept as concubines when its fighters stormed towns and villages in Sinjar province.

Now, a source with in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the "capital" of the extremist's territory, has given details of the practice to a local anti-Isil group that monitors the jihadists.

"Only the virgins" were taken as sex slaves by the jihadists, the source told the group 'Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently'.

The group is made up of sixteen activists in Raqqa who work to shed light on the jihadist's actions in the city.

The Telegraph is not able to independently verify their claims, but they have a good track record for accuracy in their reporting.

According to a report published on the group's website, the Islamic State source said that after the Yazidi women were captured in Iraq they were divided up, separating out "virgins" from married women and mothers.

The virgins were then distributed among "Isil soldiers" who had taken part in the battle in Sinjar province.

The virgin Yazidi women and girls were reportedly made to convert to Islam and then forced to marry the jihadist.
"After marrying her [and using her for sex], he might decide to divorce her and pass her onto another fighter", the source said.

Some of the women were brought to Raqqa province and given as gifts to the leaders of Isil, the source added.

The Isil emirs - leaders - then immediately took the girls out of Raqqa, instead keeping them in smaller towns in the northern Syrian countryside, such as Tal Abyad and Ain Issa, so that they would remain hidden.

"The inner circle of Isil leaders and security officials were careful that [the details] of this issue should not be known" by Raqqa civilians, the group said.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently had previously been wary of rumours of the practice of sex slavery, often writing them off as untrue propaganda.

But the group's Isil source confirmed the use of Yazidi women for sex by their captors, with money changing hands.

The report adds further weight to the admission in the Dabiq publication and supporting reports by international rights NGOs including Human Rights Watch, which have interviewed witness and relatives of women who were kidnapped by Isil.