Distrust and cultural stigma: Challenges faced by victims of sexual violence in Kosovo

Sexual violence and harassment in Kosovo are widespread, with minors making up the majority of victims in most cases. According to research, nearly 50% of women in Kosovo have been subjected to some form of sexual harassment. While women from all communities south of the Ibar River have been targeted for decades, the number of cases in the north has risen over the past two years. Distrust in institutions and societal judgment are some of the reasons women choose not to report sexual harassment, while the punishments for perpetrators remain inadequate, say the interlocutors of Kosovo Online.

Written by Milena Miladinovic

The public in the region was particularly shocked by the case of the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in Pristina two years ago.

That horrific incident sparked a wave of protests in Kosovo, during which demonstrators demanded not only the protection of women and girls but also the resignation of those responsible. This led to the resignation of Kosovo Police Director Samedin Mehmeti and the Director of the Directorate for Prisoner and Juvenile Management, Ali Gashi.

The five men who committed the crime were sentenced to a total of 62 years in prison, a verdict deemed scandalous and unacceptable by the Kosovo Women’s Network.

Two years after that heinous crime, the situation in Kosovo remains unchanged. According to data from the Kosovo Police, 64 cases of rape were reported in the first nine months of this year. A significant number of victims are still minors.

“Rape cases have decreased from 101 last year to 64 cases in the first nine months of this year,” the Kosovo Police stated for Kosovo Online.

“The Kosovo Police, during the presentation of this data by the Public Order Department, highly values the cooperation with citizens and thanks them for their continued support in increasing public safety and apprehending individuals wanted for various criminal offenses,” the police said.

However, the Kosovo Women’s Network points out that no research exists to determine the actual number of rapes or incidents of sexual harassment in Kosovo.

Although Kosovo leaders speak of zero tolerance for such harassment, Milica Andric Rakic, Program Manager of the NGO New Social Initiative, told Kosovo Online that current President Vjosa Osmani and Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu have done nothing on the matter.

Lawyer Vanja Macanovic from the Autonomous Women’s Center believes that women, particularly in regions characterized by tensions and divisions, such as Kosovo, are used as a means of revenge through various forms of sexual harassment and violence.

Andric Rakic highlights that sexual violence against women is a significant problem in Kosovo for which institutions lack an adequate solution. According to her, women in Kosovo are hesitant to report sexual harassment because they do not trust institutions and also because they wish to avoid societal stigma.

She told Kosovo Online that northern Kosovo had been a safe environment for women, with incidents of sexual violence being rare. However, the situation changed two years ago, with Serbian women in the north increasingly becoming victims of various forms of sexual harassment.

A group of women from the north even sent a letter to the KFOR commander, requesting that the bridge over the Ibar River remain closed and asking KFOR to protect them due to the rising number of street harassment cases.

On the other hand, Andric Rakic adds, Serbian women south of the Ibar, as well as women from other non-majority communities, have been victims of sexual harassment for decades.

“Violence against women is a massive problem in Kosovo. Paradoxically, the north was somewhat isolated from this problem until now because it is a culturally small community. Until recently, examples of sexual harassment in public spaces were neither common nor acceptable. When such incidents occurred, they were primarily in a family context and very rarely on the streets. In the past two years, this has become a problem in the north. However, Serbian women and other women in the south have been dealing with this issue for decades,” she stated.

Milica Andric Rakic believes that the increase in reported cases of rape and harassment is not due to a rise in incidents but rather because more women are coming forward to report them.

“Kosovo’s institutions, I can confidently say, have done nothing on this matter,” said Andric Rakic.

She noted that former Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga advocated for addressing cases of wartime rape, focusing solely on Albanian women. However, current President Vjosa Osmani and Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu have not introduced any policies to improve women’s safety.

According to her, it is particularly concerning that many rape victims are minors. She emphasized that another major issue is the lack of understanding from authorities, especially police officers, whom victims encounter when reporting harassment cases.

“The situation is alarming. Among the rape victims this year, there are many minors, often girls from non-majority communities. These are significant issues being swept under the rug. There is no response from prosecutors or the police, nor any change in police attitudes. The root of the problem lies with those who first respond to reports of violence—police officers—who often, according to women’s testimonies, fail to react adequately. Women are frequently told by officers that it is a family matter and not something for them to resolve, or the officers choose not to believe the victims,” she added.

Andric Rakic highlighted that the primary issue is the underreporting of cases, driven by a lack of trust in institutions and societal reasons.

“The key problem is the lack of trust in institutions; women are not willing to report such cases. That’s one part of the issue. The second is societal, where women, especially from the Serbian community, want to avoid the stigma. They fear their close family members, particularly brothers, husbands, or fathers, might find out and take action, potentially putting themselves in legal trouble,” she explained.

She noted that the police have the capacity to investigate such cases despite these challenges but lack the will to do so.

“This is a sensitive topic that can be politicized and used by both sides for political purposes. When it enters the political sphere, the victims suffer,” Andric Rakic concluded.

Adelina Berisha, Program Manager for Violence Against Women, pointed out that research shows 70% of sexual violence victims are minors. She warned that the penalties for such crimes in Kosovo are inadequate.

Berisha noted that in recent years, more cases of sexual violence have been reported to the Kosovo Police. However, no comprehensive research exists to reveal the true scale of the issue.

“Data from the Forensic Institute shows that 70% of sexual violence cases involve minors under 18 years old. Our latest report from 2015, which examines the prevalence of domestic violence and sexual harassment in Kosovo, shows that more than 48% of women have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime,” she said.

Berisha highlighted that the rise of various online platforms has made victims easy targets. She added that it must be emphasized that any action without a woman’s consent is a criminal offense.

“It’s unfortunate that young men in Kosovo have ‘role models,’ now also on online platforms, which makes it even easier to commit violence. We openly discuss with young people the concept that they cannot do anything without consent. Even just touching someone without permission is a criminal offense. We need to work more with younger generations to ensure they are informed. Older generations must also engage with the youth and educate them,” Berisha said.

She stressed the need to raise awareness about human rights and direct victims to places where they can seek help.

“Where it is believed that women do not have the same power as men, men exploit their power against women. We must work harder to educate young people about human rights, what sexual violence is, what violence in general is, where they can report if they are victims, and where to seek help. They must know that all such acts are criminal,” Berisha said.

Berisha noted that the penalties for sexual violence or harassment are often less severe in practice than prescribed by law.

In addition to supporting victims, Berisha emphasized the importance of working with perpetrators.

“We have a program for those who have committed such acts of violence to change their attitudes and beliefs. It’s essential to work with them and explain how their actions negatively affect others, the state, and society,” Berisha said.

The situation cannot change in a short time, emphasizes Adelina Berisha, but she adds that she remains optimistic.

“This requires a lot of work, especially for the media and for us as civil society, as it is our responsibility to be close to the people and point out their rights. This doesn’t change overnight, but I am optimistic that things will improve,” Berisha said.

She highlighted that the Kosovo Women’s Network has raised the issue of penalizing online violence, which she noted is currently the most widespread form of violence.

“We believe this form of violence must also be punishable. We hope this will happen after the elections, as there is currently no interest in addressing it. However, we have advised the Ministry of Justice to make online violence a punishable offense,” she said.

Regarding the increase in cases of sexual violence against women in northern Kosovo, Berisha encouraged women not to let societal shame prevent them from reporting incidents.

“I am saddened that women in the north face two problems: the system and the people. I wish for women in the north to feel safer, report all these cases to the police, and seek help. I expect the police to do their job and prosecute the perpetrators. We oppose all forms of violence, and for us, it does not matter which ethnic group the victim belongs to. We must care for one another. I want to encourage women to be brave and report cases of violence. In the north, we have activists who are very strong women, and victims can also seek help from them,” Berisha concluded.

Lawyer Vanja Macanovic from the Autonomous Women’s Center stated that in Kosovo, there are violations of rights and violence against women of all nationalities. She pointed out that women, especially in regions marked by tensions and divisions like Kosovo, are used as a means of revenge through various forms of sexual harassment and violence.

Macanovic observed that wherever there is a prolonged and unresolved conflict, it unfortunately manifests itself in violence against women.

“This is most evident from the experiences of women who were victims of rape during wartime, a phenomenon that exists both in the region and globally,” she said.

“The experiences of women show that they are used as a means of revenge against another nation through various forms of sexual harassment and violence. Kosovo is not an isolated case where women are targeted. As the weakest link, they struggle to defend themselves. It is easy to commit such violence, especially in an atmosphere of impunity for sexual violence and harassment. This is not only the case in Kosovo but everywhere. We see it in Serbia as well—it is something we encounter every day,” Macanovic told Kosovo Online.

“What is evident in the media regarding the situation in Kosovo is that there is a problem with sexual violence against women of all nationalities,” Macanovic emphasized.

“We have seen cases such as the multiple rape of a 12-year-old girl and many other incidents that have come to public attention. These cases show that in areas where there is a simmering conflict, all rights, especially women’s rights, are sidelined in terms of protection and support,” she observed.

She emphasized that since the introduction of the criminal offense of sexual harassment in Serbia, there has been an increase in both reports and prosecutions of such cases.

She pointed out that practice has shown that when certain behaviors are legally addressed early, while they are still at the level of harassment, more severe cases such as rape and femicide can be prevented.

“When Serbia introduced the criminal offense of sexual harassment, the media were full of comments like, ‘Now men won’t be able to flirt with women anymore.’ But those of us who work with women and provide free legal aid know how necessary it was to introduce this criminal offense. By addressing certain behaviors early, when they are at the level of harassment, we can prevent more severe cases such as rape and femicide. What became evident when Serbia introduced this law is that, as soon as it was implemented, there was a reported case involving underage girls. When we look at the statistics in Serbia—the number of reports and prosecuted cases—it’s clear that this criminal offense was necessary,” Macanovic said.

However, while she is confident that the situation in Kosovo is similar, she stressed that the key issue is how institutions respond when a case is reported.

She explained that there is a difference between cases where the perpetrator is known and those involving an unknown individual harassing women in public spaces, such as on the street, at bus stops, or in public transportation.

Macanovic pointed out that Kosovo has the "Kosovo Women’s Network" and organizations that provide support and assistance to victims of sexual harassment and violence.

She noted that these organizations are also present in northern Kosovo, where, as she put it, “the frozen Albanian-Serbian conflict constantly simmers.”

These organizations, she added, provide assistance regardless of the women’s nationality—whether they are Serbian, Albanian, Romani, or others.

“Women’s organizations always strive to help. What we see from our experience is that when Serbian women living in Kosovo seek help for a specific type of violence, primarily domestic violence, in other parts of Kosovo outside the north, they manage to secure their right to protection. The problem lies in northern Kosovo, where there is this frozen conflict and ongoing tensions. Generally, there is a completely unregulated situation for which those at the top are responsible, but it reflects on the everyday lives of citizens. That is the real issue. In Kosovo, we see that people focus on other problems instead of the real problems faced by citizens, making it difficult for the people of northern Kosovo to exercise their right to protection,” Macanovic concluded.