Kosovo War: 29 males have won sexual victim status

A total of 1329 people have applied to the Government Commission for recognition of the status of victims of sexual violence.

In Kosovo, according to the Institute for Investigation of War Crimes, 20,000 women and girls have been violated by Serb forces during the 1999 war.

The number of applicants for recognition of status, according to nongovernmental organisations dealing with the rights of these victims, is too small compared to the number of reported victims.

Stigma and shame are also counted as the main obstacle to recognition of this status.

From the Government Commission, 1329 people have applied so far to gain the status “victim of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo”.

“The status of the victim of sexual violence has won a total of 867 persons, out of them 838 women and 29 males”, Commission Secretary Labinot Bala said of “Zrin”.

The number of applicants so far, according to him, totals 1329. While he says 261 requests have been rejected and 222 female and 39 men's apps.

The currently running “are 68 cases”, he says.

Bala has said that this year the number of applicants has dropped significantly. He stresses that during the time of the pandemic the Commission has worked, but with obstacles.