Over 40 cases of sexual violence in five months in Kosovo

More than 40 cases of sexual violence were recorded in the first five months of 2020 in Kosovo alone.

According to the data provided by KOHA from the Kosovo Police, women are the victims of these crimes in the largest number.

During these five months, 16 women were raped, including minors, while two cases remained pending. According to official figures, a man was also raped during this time. During the same period, nine women and one man were sexually assaulted.

According to these same statistics, for the period January-May 2020, one case was reported for "sexual relations within the family", two cases for "degradation of sexual integrity" and four cases for "extramarital union with a person under the age of 16". In all cases the victims are women.

Meanwhile, for 2019, 166 cases were reported to the Police for criminal offenses against sexual integrity. Even during the last year, the number of female victims was very large in relation to the other gender. In 145 cases, the victims were women, while in 17 cases, men.

34 women and four men were reported to have been raped in 2019, while 6 cases remained pending.

Acting Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, after two cases of rape at the beginning of May in Mitrovica, called on the institutions to treat such cases seriously.

She stated that the measure of detention should not be replaced by light measures or release in a regular procedure, as according to her, this is an encouragement to the offender and motivates them to repeat the criminal offense.

Sociologist Artan Krasniqi also believes that the perpetrators of these crimes should receive the punishment they deserve.

In an answer to KOHEN, he estimates that the increase in the number of cases of sexual violence cannot be certain due to the isolation during the pandemic, although he does not rule out such a possibility.

However, Krasniqi says that isolation should not be seen as an attempt to justify this act.

"The increase in cases of sexual violence should be viewed with special care. For now, it cannot be said with complete certainty that this increase is a consequence of the isolation from the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus, as it cannot be excluded as a possibility that precisely the pressure brought by this type of isolation has influenced a criminal act. Care should be taken that this is not seen as an attempt to justify an inhuman and illegal action. Consequently, the social institutions and those of justice must do their job, the first to prevent and the second to give meritorious punishments to those who continue to violate human dignity", he said.

Based on the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, all the perpetrators of these crimes face imprisonment.

Based on Article 230 "Violence", of the Criminal Code of Kosovo, anyone who forces a person to perform a sexual act without their consent is punished with imprisonment of two to 10 years.

Likewise, legal sanctions are provided for persons who commit sexual assault.

According to article 232 "Sexual assault", of the Criminal Code of Kosovo, it is stated that anyone who touches another person with sexual intent or encourages the person to touch the perpetrator or other person for sexual intent, without the consent of such person, is punished with a fine or with imprisonment up to one year.

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