Over 1,000 and 200 domestic violence cases during the past year

The number of cases of domestic violence, even though there was no increase compared to the number of 2017 cases, still remains high and disturbing.

Based on Kosovo Police statistics, the number of cases of domestic violence is much higher in female gender than in men, both in 2017 and in 2018.

During 2017, the number of male and female victims in this case has been recorded 1269 cases of family Rahman. In nine months of this year, there are 1168 cases of family clans, in these cases the number of gender victims -- 901 female and 225 male” -- said police statistics.

Deputy Justice Minister, as well as National Co-ordinator Against Family Violence Naim Celaj, has told of archabres.info that Government and the Ministry of Justice in co-operation with other institutions are strengthening mechanisms for preventing domestic violence.

The government of the Republic of Kosovo and the Ministry of Justice in co-operation with other law enforcement institutions are empowering mechanisms in preventing domestic violence and in providing services for victims of violence, for their safety, for rehabilitation and reintegration”, Celaj has said.

The cell has said they have achieved several goals it has assigned to prevent domestic violence.

We've accomplished the targets that I've been assigned to, the National Coordinator. The main ones are: the monitoring and reporting system has been established by all institutions that are legally obliged to act in domestic violence cases, the data system has been established that will be clear and reliable indicators not only for statistical data but also for meeting legal obligations on the part of institutions that are legally charged with responsibility. With Kosovo's new penal code, domestic violence will from now on be sanctioned as a criminal offence. It has continued to establish local co-ordinating mechanisms, with the aim of creating social policies that are closer to victim”, Qelaj indicated.

He has said domestic violence is a global problem, not excluding Kosovo as well.

He adds that cases of domestic violence are serious in every respect and that, according to him, a victim unless he has institutional support may even be unaffordable to him.

“Dunga in the family is a global problem, so Kosovo is also facing this phenomenon, but it is important that institutions are addressing this topic with great dedication. Cases of domestic violence are sensitive. The fact that violence is exercised by family members, which violates family security and affects reports among close family members makes it clear that each case is painful and that they are serious cases, such as emotional, physical, and material, and that for the victim they can often be unaffordable if there is no institutional support”, Qelay said.

According to him, the most serious cases are fatal, but as Celay says, it should not be forgotten that even psychological and economic violence often subjected to the victim causes difficult recovery consequences.

And sociologist Leutrim Sahiti said that domestic violence is the product of patriarchal mentality.

He says this phenomenon has been more present before the 1990s than it has now been considered as domestic family issues to the extent that the victims have not dared to announce the case.

“Dukes in the family is the product of the patriarchal mentality, where prior to the last war it was much more present than today, but the difference lies in what before the 1990s, this phenomenon was seen as domestic family issues, even normal to the extent that the victims have not dared to announce the case to their own families, and the most permission at the body institutions of rank”, Sahiti said.

He has said that victims of domestic violence most often dare not report cases of violence to them.

He has also mentioned several reasons why a female is more vulnerable to psychicism and physical violence in our country.

“If the Kosovo woman had access to the family heritage she would have greater financial support she would not succumb to psychic and physical violence. Likewise, children may be the reason women do not report violence by not wanting to destroy their family, but in the end we should remember that domestic violence has enormous consequences for children because when they grow up in environments of violence, the likelihood is that when they grow up to be violent and violence can be transmitted to”, he said.

Sociologist Sahiti has shown what are the most effective measures the Government of Kosovo must take to stop this phenomenon.

Kosovo's “Government, in addition to working harder on women's employment, implementing the law on equal access to inheritance, needs to launch free and anonymous telephone lines so that victims of violence can report on cases of violence, and take advice from connoisseurs of this area how to act in these cases”, sociologist said.