Five men receive the status of victim of sexual violence

The vetting process is necessary to obtain legal benefits created for this category.

Under the law, the victim of sexual violence in war is the person who has survived sexual abuse and rape within the period of 27.02.1998 to 20,06.1999. The victims of sexual violence during the war are both females and males, although the largest number belong to female females.

Minire Begaj, chairman of the government Commission for recognition and verification of the status of persons violated during the recent war in Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe that 218 cases have been handled by the total number so far, while 45 victims have already accepted recognised by law-recognitions.

“For the recognition of status have applied 557 cases, of which 113 have gained the status of persons violated during the war, 85 have been rejected, about 20 subjects are in procedure, so we are waiting for additional documents. While out of the total number, 45 cases have been processed for payment, and I believe they have received pension financial means in a rhetorical way since they applied”, Begaj said.

It shows that from the total number so far, 218 cases have been addressed, 113 so far have received the victim's status that sexual violence, 108 of them are female, and 5 of the male gender.

“From this number, 14 men have applied, five have been recognised as the status of those violated during the war, while seven others have been denied. While of the women, 204 have addressed them, 108 has been recognised as the status of the victim of sexual violence during the war, while 78 others have been denied this status”, Begaj points out.

Under the law, those who are recognised the status of the victim of sexual violence during the war benefit personal profitabilitys of 230 euros a month.

In the process of applying victims of sexual violence, the Center for the rehabilitation of Torture victims is also helping.

Feride Rushiti, executive director at this centre, tells Radio Free Europe that interest in applying is on the rise.

However, Rushiti says that 20 years after the war ended, victims of violence still remain silent because of social stigmatization.

Even 20 years after the war, some of the victims remain silent, are still convicted of a crime they were not guilty of. Therefore, in this regard we will organise a two-year campaign with the idea of addressing stigma and biased culture in relation to this group of sex violence survivors”, Rushiti said.

In 2014, Kosovo's Assembly had adopted the necessary legal changes so that persons of this category can adjust their status and receive their legal pension.

This crime has been a taboo subject in Kosovo society for years because of prejudices that sexual violence is a disgrace to family and society. In this way many of the victims have been silent.

The issue of victims of sexual violence during the war was reactualised in the time of President Atifete Jahjaga, who, in order to help this category of society, established the National Council for Survivors of Sex Violence, which he led.

In contrast, justice has sometimes been sought in reports of international organisations for victims of sexual violence during the recent war in Kosovo.