Cases of violence against women be seriously investigated

Psychological violence - and then physical from her husband - has forced Flora out of her home and to seek help from the police. After, she's located at the shelter center.

And the physical violence has begun, once I've presented the case [to the police] and has stabilised slightly. I thought it improved. But, after two or three months, he has continued to use alcohol again and physical violence has begun”, Flora says in a pronomation for Radio Free Europe.

She says she has faced psychological violence for years.

According to the Kosovo Police, from the beginning of this year until August, over 1,338 cases of violence against women have been filed, of which four cases have ended in death.

Representatives of nongovernmental organisations monitoring these cases say that in Kosovo between 30 and 35%, the number of cases of domestic violence has increased, while security authorities show that in increasing the number of cases of violence has affected pandemic.

“The process for the victims' integration is untouched”

At the Centre for the Protection of Women and Children in Pristina, 56 cases have been presented this year, the director of the organisation, Zana Hamiti, told Radio Free Europe.

It explains that in addition to this number, the centre is helping, advising, and addressing many other online cases.

It is known that the economic situation, now in the pandemic, has become even heavier. The process of integrating victims is intact. The institutions are not operating. No social residences. The victim when she has nowhere to turn, when she doesn't have a safe place she is forced back to rape again and violence is recurring”, she said.

Even Erbina Dinarmama, director of the Safe House Centre in Gjakova, says that 2019 and 2020 are the years in which the number of cases of violence against women has marked growth.

From January 1st 2020 until now, there are 61 cases of mothers and children whom we have sheltered in our center. In August we have had 18 new cases that have been sheltered in our centre and currently have 19 persons in the” shelter, she said.

Dinarama, however, doubts that cases of reported violence are not real, since, as she says, cases of domestic violence and against women are even greater, but that they are not reported.

One of the municipalities in Kosovo considered to be having an equally large number of domestic violence cases has been reported to be the one of Glogocis '%sitas.

Authorities say over 30 cases have been reported in this municipality recently.

Back home with social workers insist?

The director of the Centre for Social Affairs in the Drinas municipality, Ilym Dobra, told Radio Free Europe that with the help of social workers, some of the cases that have experienced physical violence have returned to the family and, as he says, “have reconciled (with their spouse) and are continuing their lives as before”.

He even relates one final instance of how he has returned to his family.

We've come to a close by talking to her [the victim] that actually she's been a disagreement... It's been the [action] of the moment even though I think there was violence, but it hasn't been at extreme something as irrecoverable. So, as officials insist, the professional organ that it is, we have come to the conclusion that the husband has agreed to her return, and that she has accepted. So we've gone and taken her back to her husband and everything's fine once, Dobra said.

Radio Free Europe, however, has found that the case in question has had doubts about returning to the family, but with the insistence of social workers it has returned to her husband.

The Kosovo Women's Network representing the interests of 151 member organisations, including women's organisations of all ethnic groups in Kosovo, says they are constantly monitoring cases of domestic violence, including cases of violence against women.

We have noted that there are times when women forgive their mates and return to them. However, the prosecution would have to investigate why women are resigning because behind such resignations usually lie such reasons as family pressure, pressure from institutional officials, severe economic conditions, lack of property, unemployment, and fear of losing child custody“, A written response by the Kosovo Women's Network is reported.

This network says that during monitoring it has been noted that the qualifications of criminal acts on the part of the prosecution occur very often so as not to be done as it was.

For example, there are times when attempted murder has been described as domestic violence/cundation, and as a result of this crime chief has been sentenced to only 7 months in prison on condition of”, they say on this network.

The domestic violence, but particularly against women, has also been discussed Thursday in the Kosovo Assembly.

MP Vlora Limani-Hynunni, on behalf of the group of women MPs, said the justice system in Kosovo should implement harsh policies punishing any violator of anyone causing domestic violence.

In such a time period when we have increased cases of domestic violence and violence against women, the justice system should not be negligent and indifferent to these cases. Therefore, the justice system should make it clear that violence against women and domestic violence is an unacceptable act, which is sanctioned by maximum punishment”, Limani said Hajunni.

During this week, Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, until he has participated in an organisation by the Kosovo Democratic Institute, where he was talking about political dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, has been interrupted by some members of the Social Democrat Party who criticised him by saying he is not taking any action against violence against women.

Women interrupting Hoti's address have demanded that Prime Minister Hoti act and talk about violence against women. Prime Minister Hoti has allowed them to express himself and has said he is on their side to protect women and prevent domestic violence.

Flora, a victim of violence because of the suffering she has experienced, has invited all women to avoid violence but to talk about it.