Naaldwijk mother faces 7-year sentence for taking children to IS war zone
A 49-year-old woman from Naaldwijk is on trial for taking her two children to Syria in 2014, exposing them to IS terror. Her son was conscripted as a child soldier and died at 15, while her daughter was forced into marriages with IS fighters. The prosecution demands a seven-year prison sentence.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Defendant | 49-year-old woman from Naaldwijk, Netherlands |
| Charges | Participation in a terrorist organization, endangering children, war crime |
| Children’s Fate | Son (14) conscripted into IS, died at 15; daughter forced into marriages |
| Travel to Syria | 2014, via Turkey, under pretense of a vacation |
| Prosecution Demand | 7-year prison sentence |
| Repatriation | May 2024, brought back to the Netherlands for trial |
| Location of Trial | Rotterdam District Court |
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is responsible for prosecuting criminal offenses in the Netherlands, including terrorism-related crimes and war crimes. In this case, the OM is pursuing justice for the defendant’s alleged violations of international agreements protecting children in conflict zones.
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Prosecution Demands 7-Year Prison Sentence for Naaldwijk Woman Who Took Children to IS Caliphate
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is seeking a seven-year prison sentence for a 49-year-old woman from Naaldwijk. The woman is suspected of traveling to Syria in 2014 with her minor son and daughter. According to the OM, she allowed her then 14-year-old son to be conscripted into the armed forces of the Islamic State (IS). This constitutes a war crime. The child later died in Syria. Prosecutors described the case as “incredibly tragic” during a hearing at the Rotterdam District Court on Friday.
October 2014. Syria is in the midst of a civil war, and the terrorist organization IS controls a significant portion of the country. It is to this IS “caliphate” that the defendant in this case decides to travel. She purchases plane tickets for herself and her children to Turkey, and has her ex-husband sign a document allowing her to travel with the children alone. She tells him she is going on vacation to Turkey. Shortly before departure, she terminates her lease and travels via Istanbul to the Syrian border. The prosecutors from the National Office of the Public Prosecution Service state:
“Once in Syria, the defendant exposed her children to the horrors of this terrorist organization by marrying an IS fighter and settling with her partner and children in an area under IS control. This led to her daughter, at a very young age, being married twice to IS fighters, and her minor son joining IS. In doing so, she effectively deprived her children of a significant part of their youth. The impact of growing up in a war zone marked by fear and uncertainty is profound and lasting for children. In addition to adequate care, they lacked education, future prospects, and, above all, a sense of security.”
On IS’s Payroll
According to the OM, the defendant’s son soon after arriving in Syria participated in an IS training camp and later joined the group’s military police in Raqqa. He was placed on IS’s payroll and thus contributed to the financial support of his mother. In 2017, the defendant’s son was killed at the age of 15 during a bombing while serving in an IS combat unit.
Child Soldier
The defendant remained in Syria for a long time and was eventually repatriated in May 2024 and brought to the Netherlands for prosecution. She is charged with, among other things, participation in a terrorist organization, endangering her children, removing them from their father’s authority, and a war crime—specifically, complicity in the enlistment of her child as a soldier in the IS armed forces. The OM emphasizes the international agreements stipulating that children must receive maximum protection, especially in times of war.
“This, in the OM’s view, is the crux of the severity of this case. By her actions, the defendant grossly violated the duty of care she owed as a mother to her minor children. Instead of protecting them as she was obligated to do, she knowingly took them to a war zone controlled by one of the most brutal regimes the world has seen in recent decades: the ‘Islamic State.’ The risks to their safety and development were enormous—and even life-threatening.”
Due to the defendant’s actions, her children and other family members, including their father, have been affected, according to the OM. Given the severity of the charges, prosecutors are demanding a seven-year prison sentence. The defendant invoked her right to remain silent during the trial.