To die without justice, evidence of the victims of untold sexual violence

The data of organisations dealing with victims of sexual violence in the recent war in Kosovo provides disturbing figures for the number of deaths of persons of this category, whose evidence remains untreated by justice.

Four different organisations told Kosova Preess that there are 33 victims that have identified them and that already no longer live, but that number could be even higher.

Much evidence, confessions and experiences of war crimes, remains unprecedented. Along with their troops, the testimony of many women and men who were sexually violated during the recent war in Kosovo is being buried.

As many of them are living with the traumatic consequences, others are decided to stop living. Family members were forced to say that they had died of disease because of stigma and mentality. The four organisations dealing with survivors of this crime point to Kosova pris tens of women and men who have died since the post-war.

The painful truth that Kosovars experienced is hard to prove. Not why it is not being argued, for many women and men have marked this in the body and memory of the mind.

The director of the Kosovar Centre for the rehabilitation of Torture Survivors Feride Rushiti tells Kosovo that 520 women and men continue to receive psycho-Social services for more than two decades.

In addition to sickness, a large number of survivors bear many consequences related to traumatic experience. She says there are eight cases when suicides and two others have been pending status.

“Nine-nine people in the Drenica region where we worked reportedly committed suicide. And as such they have never been confirmed or issued a document that relates to their historical past. Basically, our society for protection, or to protect itself and the name of our family, has presented them as cases of suicide for other nature concerns. Not mentioning or closing their past as the victim of sexual violence” shows Rushiti.

In relation to the Government Commission, two have failed to enjoy the status of the sex victim. For so many, it is almost the commission's own leader.

“We haven't had cases identified since I'm remembering an apology, there's been a chance we haven't been able to consider. But we haven't had access to the review, one case or two, I'm not sure. Because our work is coded, we don't open an app until it comes in order to examine it on the commission, despite having accepted the” app, it relates.

Some of the victims are believed to have died the day they experienced horror. And many others who lived in great pain decided to end their lives.

Centre for Promotive Women's Rights Director Cadire Tahiraj points out that family members have been forced to call it natural deaths.

According to women's data, we have data from post-war to now, 12 women have lost their lives. Unfortunately, some of these women have yet to be treated. Some have also committed suicide because of stigma and prejudice. Likewise, family members have been forced to call it natural deaths because of the identification of such women. We have four cases as a center that since the founding have suffered death. Unfortunately, we only identified them, failed to receive treatment from our” center, Tahiraj points out.

Many others failed to live because of the consequences they experienced after the violation.

The director of the organisation “Medica Kosova”, acting on Shehu, shows there are three cases that have been identified with the Gjakova and Decani district.

There have been cases of deaths of survivors, as a result of various chronic diseases, yet this pandemic situation has also affected us, but over the last ten years, we have three cases of death. We have a survivor of the girl's status, quite young 24 years old, who has died as a result of the violation, unfortunately we have no chance to work with. Since we have treated her mother and she is the woman who has experienced a great pain and sought psychological help because her daughter had lost her life because she was paralyzed for four years after the war”, she relates.

Besides sickness and age, others have died during the pandemic.

Then we have other cases, one from a village in the Gjakova municipality and one from the municipality of Decani, which has changed lives as a result of chronic diseases they have had. However, the situation with COVID-19 has also affected. What's important is that none of these two women who died were able to obtain the right for what they experienced. While, what died four years ago failed to receive even the pension, at least profiting status as a civilian victim”, she adds.

Director of the nongovernmental organisation “Medica Gjakova”, Linda Sada, shows that the number of people who lost their lives is two women and one man. The latter have had chronic illness.

As the perpetrators continue to be at large, Feride Rushiti from the CKRMT says it is frightening that as much evidence of crimes remains unremarked.

The state must have a mechanism for storing all the wounds of war, including not only the victims of crime, but other categories derived from war. However, there have been attempts to create, but there has been no stability with the state's” initiatives, Rushiti concluded.

From the CRC have applied for recognition of status 374 people, 264 of them have gained access as victims of sexual violence of war, while four cases have been rejected.

Despite terrible experiences, many women and men are afraid to apply for the status of the victim of sexual violence. 22 years later, almost nothing has changed when it comes to treatment and support. Many of them are stigmatized for what they have experienced. So many years have passed, and those who did these deeds have not received a due recompense.