Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) indicted six former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) commanders for crimes committed against almost 19,000 children.
The victims were either recruited or otherwise abused by the FARC between 1971 and 2016 as part of the guerrillas’ attempt to overthrow the state.
The indicted former commanders are held responsible for the crimes committed against children because they allegedly failed to respond to widespread child abuse and other war crimes while leading the FARC.
The investigation into war crimes committed against children revealed how widespread they were, particularly in the countryside where the FARC exercised significant control for decades.
The investigation also revealed that at least 8,903 of the minors who were victimized belonged to indigenous peoples.
Some 28 percent of the victims of the crimes investigated by the FARC disappeared during the armed conflict and are presumed dead.
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