The Mahmudiyah killings and gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl by U.S. troops occurred on March 12, 2006, in a house to the southwest of Yusufiyah, a village to the west of the town of Al-Mahmudiyah, Iraq. Five United States Army soldiers of the 502nd Infantry Regiment were charged with the crimes: (i) Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, (ii) Spc. James P. Barker, (iii) Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman, (iv) Pfc. Brian L. Howard and (v) Pfc. Steven D. Green (whom the army discharged before the crime's discovery). Abeer Qasim Hamza was raped and murdered, after her family was murdered: her mother, Fakhriyah Taha Muhsin, 34; father, Qasim Hamza Raheem, 45; and six-year-old sister Hadeel Qasim Hamza.[1] As of September 2009[update], Spielman and Green have been convicted and three others have pled guilty.[2]
Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi (عبير قاسم حمزه الجنابي) (February 28, 1992 – March 12, 2006) an Iraqi girl who, at the age of 14,[3][4] was gang-raped and murdered [5] in her home by U.S. soldiers who then set fire to the girl's body before decamping. They also murdered her six year old sister, and her mother and father.[6]
Background
Abeer Hamza lived with her mother and father (Fakhriya Taha Muhasen, 34, and Qassim Hamza Raheem, 45, respectively) and their three other children, a daughter – 6-year-old Hadeel Qassim Hamza, a son – 11-year-old Mohammed and his 9-year-old younger brother Ahmed. Their house was situated approximately 200 meters (220 yd) from a six-man U.S. traffic checkpoint,[7] southwest of the village of Yusufiyah, which lies west of the larger township of Al-Mahmudiyah (in the coalition-termed area "Triangle of Death").[8]According to her neighbours, Abeer spent most of her days at home as her parents would not allow her to go to school because of security concerns. From their checkpoint, the soldiers would often watch Abeer doing her chores and tending the garden. The neighbors had warned Abeer's father of this, but he replied it was not a problem as she was just a small girl.[8]
Abeer's brother Mohammed (who survived along with his younger brother due to being at school at the time of the killings) recalls that the soldiers often searched the house. And on one such occasion PFC Steven Dale Green ran his index finger down Abeer's cheek, an action which had terrified the 14-year-old girl.[9]
Abeer's mother told her relatives before the murders that, whenever she caught the soldiers staring at Abeer, they would give her the thumbs-up sign, point to her daughter and say "Very good, very good." Evidently this had concerned her and she made plans for Abeer to spend nights sleeping at her uncle's (Ahmad Qassim's) house.[9][10] The 101st Airborne Division's 502nd Infantry Regiment had been posted at the edge of the 'Triangle of Death' and had been losing one soldier per week [11] It has been described as a severely undermanned operation that sustained severe casualties in a very short time. [12] On March 12, 2006, the soldiers (from the 502nd Infantry Regiment) at the checkpoint had been drinking alcohol and discussing plans to rape Abeer.[13] In broad daylight they walked to the house (not wearing their uniforms)[14] and separated Abeer and her family into two different rooms. Steven Green then murdered her parents and younger sister, while two other soldiers raped Abeer. He then emerged from the room saying "I just killed them, all are dead".[15] He then raped Abeer, shot her in the head and proceeded (along with the other soldiers) to set fire to the house and bodies.
The neighbors were among the first to discover the scene. One recalled "The poor girl, she was so beautiful. She lay there, one leg was stretched and the other bent and her dress was lifted up to her neck."[10]
