The review of the indictment against the three nurses who attacked the elderly woman in Peja is requested

The Kosovar Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (QKRMT) has asked the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Peja to review the indictment brought against three nurses for the case of mistreatment of an elderly woman in the nursing home "Orenda" in Peja.

The three nurses, based on the notification of the Prosecutor's Office that was issued on Thursday, are accused only of the criminal offense of "assault". But the KKRMT has assessed that based on the images published in the media, the use of violence and humiliation against the elderly woman is clearly visible and has said that it had requested that the actions against the elderly woman be treated as a criminal offense "Mistreatment during the exercise of official duties or public authorizations " (Article 195), or "Torture" (Article 196), since according to them the actions against the elderly woman also had elements of torture.

"KKRMT calls on the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Pejë and the Basic Court in Pejë to review this indictment and requalify the criminal offense, because the violence used against the elderly woman was committed in an institution licensed by the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo and the persons who have exerted violence against the elderly woman, they were employed in that institution", says the statement of the KKRMT.

According to them, the state is responsible for the dignified treatment of persons who are under the supervision of the state or institutions authorized by the state, and that the violence used against the elderly woman cannot be considered an ordinary attack since it is said that "it was caused by official persons, i.e. nurses of the old people's home, which means that the elements of the criminal offense 'Mistreatment during the exercise of official duties or public authorizations' have been fulfilled, and also the actions that can be considered as 'Torture' had to be assessed.

"KKRMT calls on the relevant institutions for effective supervision of the treatment of persons placed in institutions supervised by the state, and undertaking all actions to stop torture and any other form of ill-treatment", the statement says.