Study: Survivors of rape during the war in Kosovo also face a lack of political and social sensitivity

2024-09-12 17:44:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Study: Survivors of rape during the war in Kosovo also face a lack of political

The organization "Medica Gjakova", which deals with the issue of rape survivors during the war in Kosovo, published a report on Thursday according to which 86 percent of them face long-term consequences such as post-traumatic stress.

"Also, 96 percent of the survey participants meet the criteria for clinical depression. On the other hand, 96 percent reported high levels of anxiety. Meanwhile, over 76 percent of them stated that after the war they experienced moments when they felt that life was no longer worth it," said Dea Fetiu, co-author of the report.

The report titled "I am not to blame for what happened to me" includes surveys of 200 rape survivors, 191 women and nine men.

According to the report, over half of the respondents describe their physical condition as very poor and only six percent of them rate their physical condition as good.

"Furthermore, all of them stated that they regularly seek medical attention. On the other hand, 80 percent of them have declared that they suffer from various pains such as in the head, neck and back or chronic fatigue", said Mrs. Fetiu.

Survivors of rape in Kosovo, according to the study, continue to suffer social consequences by facing a stigmatizing environment.

"Almost half of the participants stated that they know other survivors who have never had the opportunity to talk about their experience. "Also, almost 70 percent of the people participating in the study have stated that they avoid social activities and try to limit social contacts by leaving social relations," said Mrs. Fetiu.

Mirlinda Sada, executive director of "Medica Gjakova", emphasized that one of the most disturbing findings from this study is the continuous social isolation faced by survivors.

"These women and men remain silent, not by choice but because of fear. Fear of embarrassing their families, fear of insults from neighbors and fear of being abandoned by their community. This culture of silence continues to be an obstacle to recovery that affects the mental health, social life and family relationships of survivors. These people don't just live with the trauma of what happened to them during the war, they continue to endure the consequences of stigma and social judgment," said Mrs. Sada.

Monika Hauser, founder of the international organization Medica Mondiale, which has supported this study, said that 25 years after the war in Kosovo, there is still not enough political and social sensitivity to this issue.

"There is a need for many more qualified services in the country. Here, our recommendation to the international community, especially the German government, is that they can make a significant contribution to survivors by supporting non-governmental organizations that are the first and for a long time the only ones to provide direct services with sensitive access and in a long-term sense, given that the problems are also of a long-term nature, which is proven by this study", said Mrs. Hauser.

Although the exact number of rape victims during the war in Kosovo is still unknown, it is believed that this number is around 20 thousand.

A quarter of a century after the war, according to the Fund for Humanitarian Law, only one person has been convicted with an all-powerful judgment for committing this type of crime./ VOA