War rapes are investigated by two policemen

Currently, there are 78 cases reported to police for sexual violence in war -- six of them presented this year.

The exact figures are unknown, but it is estimated that the total number of sexually violated persons during the 1998/99 war in Kosovo behaves to about 20,000.

“actually, in the War Crimes Investigation Unit, two investigators, who investigate and document cases of sexual violence/violence during the war”, are said in a written statement by the Kosovo Police, provided Radio Free Europe.

It becomes known that this entity is centralised, which means it covers all regions of Kosovo, but other details are not provided.

In the Justice Ministry say that Kosovo, currently, “does not have enough capacity to address war crimes within the justice system”, but pledge that their priority remains “the use of these capabilities”.

The number of police investigators, but also prosecutors and judges for investigating and addressing cases, which are described as war crimes or crimes against the civilian population, is insufficient”, the MD says in a statement to the REL.

Over 1,250 war crimes cases, including 50 cases of sexual violence, are under way in the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo.

From this institution, they say that the treatment of subjects becomes <x0 with commitment”, but procrastinations in the treatment of cases, according to them, relate to the slow collection of evidence by investigative police on the ground.

Tahiri-Suliman: For almost three years, no information from justice

Shyhrete Tahiri-Suliman, the survivor of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, has raised criminal speculation in her case since October 2019.

Although nearly three years have passed since then, Tahiri-Suliman says there is no information from the justice system.

Nothing has changed, same... But I intend to present the case to” where I live in the West, says Tahiri-Suliman for REL.

She is the second woman in Kosovo, after Vasfije Krasniqi, who has spoken publicly about experiencing sexual violence in the war.

Former Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, who has often become the voice of these victims, says it is necessary to increase the number of staff in both the law and the law organs, which deal with these cases.

“I don't know how matters are regulated within the police system, but, overall, I think two [police] officials are below the minimum necessary to address these cases”, Jahjaga tells Radio Free Europe.

“We are 23 years from the end of the war, 14 years from Kosovo's declaration of independence, and Kosovo has had to have far greater capabilities in addressing war crimes, but especially sexual violence, which has been used as a means of war by Serb forces in Kosovo”, she says.

Only a convict of sexual violence in war

Over two decades after the war, authorities in Kosovo have condemned only one person for committing sexual violence in the war.

Former Serbian police officer Zoran Vukotic was sentenced in July 2021 to ten years in prison.

With the investigation into cases of sexual violence in war was initially undertaken by the European Mission for Rule of Law in Kosovo, EULEX, which, in 2018, has delivered competencies to local institutions.

In a statement to Radio Free Europe, this mission says that, in total, “has addressed 25 cases of violations as war crimes”.

Some of these cases are still being investigated, some have been fired, while some have been sent for trial”, EULEX says.

In 2014, Kosovo has adopted a law to recognise the status of the victim of sex violence for raped persons.

The government commission that works in this direction has started working in 2018, and since then more than 1,000 people have been able to secure this status ) taken into account that they must provide a number of evidence that they have been victims of war rape.

Linda Sada leads the nongovernmental organisation “Medica Gjakova”, through which victims of sexual violence can apply for recognition of their status.

Sada says her organisation is in constant contact with the Kosovo Police for cases of rape victims, and adds that “is meaningless” for only two policemen to deal with investigations.

There's no point. Even the number of prosecutors, even policemen, is very small”, she says.

Four prosecutors are currently dealing with wartime crimes in Kosovo.

From the Ministry of Justice, they say they have allocated the budget for increasing capacities with prosecutors and expressed conviction that they would be able to do more in “bringing justice to war crimes victims”.

Until then, the continued effects of sexual violence, but other crimes will continue to remain even more open wounds for victims.