Albanians have been left shocked by the horrific rape of an 11-year-old girl in Prishtina, Kosovo by up to five men, with four currently in custody.
The rape took place two days ago in the Kosovo capital, and Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla announced that all suspects, bar one, were currently under arrest and detained.
“I received with concern the news about the rape of a minor girl, 11 years old, by five people for several hours in a row. I am aware of the legitimate concern of every parent and every girl in our country. I have requested a full commitment from the Kosovo Police for the fastest possible arrest of all the perpetrators of this macabre act,” said Svecla.
President Vjosa Osmani described the event as a”shocking and inhumane act” while demanding “a rigorous investigation and accountability before the law for the perpetrators”.
Sexual violence, as well as all forms of violence against girls and women, pose a threat to everyone, said Osmani, adding that “It is also time to proceed with legislative changes that further toughen the punishments for perpetrators. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that all children are guaranteed a dignified childhood and to eliminate gender-based violence.”
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, demanded deserved punishment for the rapists of the 11-year-old girl.
“I ask the law enforcement and investigative bodies to bring the suspects to justice as soon as possible and for the perpetrators to receive the deserved punishment for this serious and shocking, reprehensible and unacceptable crime. Such brutal acts of violence against children must be treated with high seriousness, at the institutional level and social and cultural level”, said Kurti on social media.
The Kosovo Women’s Network expressed its concern over this event while calling for the suspects “after evaluating the evidence to receive the deserved punishment according to the gravity of the crime”.
In Kosovo, rape is punishable by between two and ten years, while in the case of a minor, the sentence is between five and 20 years. According to the Kosovo Women’s Network, over 70% of all sexual assault and rape cases in the country involve minor girls.
The Deputy Minister of Justice in Kosovo, Nita Shala, assessing the shocking rape of the minor, announced that the Emergency Response Group would meet urgently on Tuesday morning.
According to a report published earlier in the year by the EULEX mission in Kosovo, it is noted that the number of rape cases reported to the Kosovo police has doubled while conviction rates remain concerningly low.
EULEX reported that in two years, there were 228 reports of rape. The vast majority, over 90% of rapes, are believed to go unreported, meaning the actual number is believed to be much higher.
Unfortunately, some media have been reporting the event as “unwanted sex” or “forced sex”, when the correct term is in fact, rape.
