From Nazi Trials to ISIS

On April 28, the Program on Extremism hosted a discussion with Jessica Trisko Darden, Associate Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, to explore her new book “The Accused: How Women Faced Justice for Nazi-Era Crimes”. Offering a groundbreaking examination of women’s roles in Nazi-era atrocities, the book challenges long-standing assumptions about women's behavior that have historically minimized women’s agency and accountability.

Drawing on trial records from across Germany, France, Hungary, the Soviet Union, and Israel, Trisko Darden highlighted how postwar political dynamics contributed to disparities in how women were prosecuted and sentenced for war crimes. The conversation, moderated by Barry Jonas, Senior Research Fellow, also explored how the legacy of Nazi war crimes prosecutions continues to shape contemporary justice. In particular, the event examined how these historical patterns complicate legal and policy responses to women affiliated with extremist groups such as ISIS, underscoring the enduring influence of gender bias on questions of culpability and accountability today.