The United Nations Security Council has enough evidence to be able to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bore command responsibility for the abuses that were occurring, said Pillay, who also charged that the authorities were "systematically targeting children" in their crackdown.
"Factually there's enough evidence pointing to the fact that many of these acts are committed by the security forces (and) must have received the approval or the complicity at the highest level," Pillay said in a BBC interview on Wednesday.
"I feel that investigation and prosecution is a crucial element to deter and call a stop to these violations." Pillay said Al-Assad was responsible because he could "simply issue an order to stop the killings and the killings would stop."
Speaking to the BBC during a meeting of Syrian opposition groups in Istanbul, Pillay said she had heard stories of "horrendous" treatment of children during the unrest.
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"They've gone for the children - for whatever purposes - in large numbers. Hundreds detained and tortured... it's just horrendous.
"Children shot in the knees, held together with adults in really inhumane conditions, denied medical treatment for their injuries, either held as hostages or as sources of information."
There is no statute of limitations so people like (al-Assad) can go on for a very long time but one day they will have to face justice."
