People in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, have been demonstrating for days against violence against women and are calling on the judiciary to take stronger action against sexual violence. The reason for the protests is a horrific act: at the end of August an 11-year-old girl was raped for hours by five men.
Police have arrested five suspects, including three minors. A court in Pristina has detained two of the suspects for 30 days.
Crime lasted seven hours
They allegedly raped the 11-year-old for seven hours in a park in Pristina on August 27. The victim was then taken to another location by car. The girl’s health is currently unknown.
The act shocked the country and sparked furious protests. The authorities were accused of failure. Last Tuesday, Kosovo’s police chief resigned for reasons of conscience. Judges and prosecutors have been heavily criticized for punishing perpetrators far too lightly in cases of sexual assault.
Statements fail because of the statute of limitations
An analysis by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) supports this: Between 2015 and 2020, prosecutors filed more than 521 sexual assault charges. Of these, only 140 convictions led to prison terms, while 79 led to fines and suspended sentences. Most of the crimes, 189 in total, went unpunished because they were time-barred, according to BIRN’s analysis in May.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
