About 400 women and 12 men with sexual violence victim status

Government officials say that out of the total number of those who have applied for the status of the victim of sexual violence, 598 cases have so far been addressed, while 406 victims -- out of them 394 women and 12 males -- have already accepted legally recognised practices.

Rape is considered one of mankind's most terrible crimes and which, as in many countries in the world where there were wars or conflicts, took place even in Kosovo during the 1998-99 conflict.

One of the victims of sexual violence during the war was Vjollca (the name known for editorialism). She earlier confessed to Radio Free Europe that in 1998 she was violated by members of Serbian forces.

Her confession was thrilling. It shows that at that time, six policemen had violated her for three days. Then he was put in a truck with many dead bodies, saying that he had experienced real horror.

It happened when I took the baby to the hospital, because it was paralyzing. After I got out, the whole place was surrounded by cops. They took my husband that day and killed him. I was left with children. I had three kids with me. I went into my husband's uncle's house to save myself. But the police came in too, and they were all thrown out of the house. I was the only one left. I've been raped by six cops for three days in a row”, reports Vjollca.

Based on statements by Kosovo institutions officials, some 20,000 cases of sexual abuse have occurred during the recent war.

To ease the status of this category, in 2014, the Kosovo Assembly had adopted the necessary legal changes so that those who experienced these crimes during the war are recognized as the status of the victim of sexual violence, with which it has been enabled to receive the legal pension amounting to about 230 euros a month.

Minire Begaj-Balaj, chairman of the government Commission for recognition and verification of the status of persons violated during the recent war in Kosovo, in a response to Radio Free Europe, says that by the end of June, by the total number of applications reaching 1057 likes, status has been accepted to 406 people, pending treatment are also 459 cases, 152 applications have been rejected, and 55 cases are in the process.

It shows that the deadline to submit the application for recognition and verification of the status of the victim of sexual violence is five (5) from the start, and the officialisation of the Government Commission's work on recognising and verifying the status of violent persons during the war. This commission officially began work in February 2018.

The centre for rehabilitation of victims of torture has consistently helped in the process of applying victims of sexual violence. Feride Rushiti, executive director of the centre, considers that compared to the total number of victims, the number of applications is extremely small.

Rushiti also asks family members to encourage and help victims to realize their right to the Law.

Of course the number is small. But after the process started just a year ago, this number has been expected for the fact that most of the cases now in the Commission are cases that have been dealt with earlier in nongovernmental organisations. Another number is already pending, as about 1500 cases are handled in four of the organisations dealing with this issue”, Rushiti points out.

Human rights organizations have warned of prejudice against these victims.

Beyond these prejudices, Vasfije Krasniqi-Godman is one of the rare victims of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, which has publicly confessed its history that occurred 19 years ago.

She has confessed her story even at a hearing held in April at the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States on the theme: ” War Victims in Kosovo”.

There, on behalf of victims of sexual violence in Kosovo, it has asked the US Congress to address the impunity of war crimes and human rights abuses committed in Kosovo.

During a debate held this week in Pristina, the chairman of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, Mufti Naim Ternava, has demanded that survivors of sexual violence during the war not be tried, adding that they are innocent. Ternava said this category of society should be treated with priority and responsibility, ranging from family to highest state institutions.

“According to Islamic Islam, if an action is done by implantation is not considered a sin. Occupants of Islamic religion have an honorary treatment of”.

And we have a state and national obligation to rehabilitate this category spiritually and morally, rehabilitate it in the family and around it. We integrate into institutions and societies, because they don't bear any guilt on themselves because they didn't pick it and didn't even want it. They are simply victims of our inability to protect and preserve from persons and the violent conqueror”, Ternava said.

While legal mechanisms have been created in Kosovo to help all victims of sexual violence, this category is also seeking international justice.

In April the Kosovo Women's Steering Board has submitted to the United Nations Organisation the petition of Kosovo citizens through which international justice is required.

This petition was signed in 2014, out of more than 110 thousand citizens in the entire territory of Kosovo, expelled Serb-run municipalities. The aim of this petition has been and remains that, reportedly, the <x0 perpetrators of genocide crimes in Kosovo” be brought before justice organs. / REL