Guatemala has earned notoriety for being deemed a violent country for women. Even to this day, women and young girls in the Central American country face the dangers of discrimination, violence, sexual assault and even death at the hands of men. Now Guatemalan soldiers are to face trial for war crimes against 11 Mayan women, per The Guardian. 

Women and young girls fall victim to Guatemala's discrimination, mostly brought about by poverty and a lack of education.

The Guatemalan Civil War spanned for more than three decades and was fought between the Guatemalan government and leftist rebel groups, widely supported by Mayans and Ladino peasants. It was reported that during those dark days, 100,000 women were raped. For years, their stories were unknown, but now they choose to fight.

In a report with The Guardian, in a historic event, Guatemalan soldiers will be standing trial for war crimes on sexual slavery charges involving 11 Mayan women in Sepur Zarco. It has been more than 30 years since the unspeakable crimes have been committed, and only now could justice be served.

The Guatemalan soldiers first came for the men of Sepur Zarco, where they were dragged out of their village and killed. The women were then raped in front of their children. These Mayan women were stripped of their belongings, and were forced into servitude and sexual slavery by several soldiers in the nearby military base.

The historic trial will see two former military officers, Esteelmer Reyes Girón and regional military commissioner Heriberto Valdez Asij, face trial on charges of sexual slavery and forced disappearances.

Yahoo reports that Reyes will be charged on "authorizing and consenting for soldiers under his command to exercise sexual violence and inhuman, cruel and degrading treatment against Maya-Q'eqchi' women."

Valdez will be prosecuted for his acts of sexual violence against the Mayan women as well as the "forced disappearance" of nine men.

The Mayan women gave their testimony in court, telling of the horrors that they have suffered during the Guatemalan Civil War. The victims of these crimes are now in their 80's, mostly weak and illiterate, and are unable to speak in Spanish.

Many of the veterans defend their innocence, claiming that they were fighting a war on communism. However, the Guatemalan Civil War brought about many atrocities highlighting the inhumanity of it all, as 200,000 were killed or were missing during the 36-year conflict.