In 2017-2018, a team from the Feinstein International Center conducted a study. Based on their findings, they testified at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the case against Dominic Ongwen, a top commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, who is on trial for 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their research showed that not only is victim population is significantly worse off that those who did not experience such sustained violence, but also that the effects of the attacks of these massacres are ongoing and intergenerational for the victims and their families. While the findings from the FIC assessment are powerful on their own, the approach itself serves as a novel way for presenting and quantifying the harms suffered by the victim population in an international criminal trial.

At this event, Professor Dyan Mazurana and PhD Candidate Anastasia Marshak discuss the study they designed and conducted, how they worked with the victims of three massacres, how that evidence was used by the court, and the request that they now advise on reparations for the victims. They propose that such research has the potential for improving international criminal prosecution and reparation awards. Professor Tom Dannenbaum will comment on the use of this kind of data in international criminal cases. Refreshments will be provided.