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The rape of a minor two days ago in Pristina has aroused the reaction of institutions and organizations for the protection of rights, which have raised the alarm about the high number of rapes against girls.
A court in Pristina ordered on Monday the detention measure of one month, against two people, E.R and G.R under the suspicion of having raped a minor two days ago in the capital of Kosovo, VOA reports.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Xelal Sveçla, announced through social networks that so far four of the five suspects in this crime have been caught by the law enforcement authorities.
"I received with concern the news about the rape of a minor girl, 11 years old, by 5 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 maximum commitment from the Kosovo Police for the fastest possible arrest of all the perpetrators of this macabre act", said Mr. Sveçla.
The rape, which the police announced in the 24-hour report on Saturday, provoked many reactions in Kosovo.
The President, Vjosa Osmani, in a reaction on social networks, considered this 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 President Osmani.
"It is also time to proceed with legislative changes that further toughen the punishments for perpetrators. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all children are guaranteed a dignified childhood and to eliminate gender-based violence," she said.
The 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 but also at the social and cultural level", said the prime minister in a reaction on social networks.
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".
According to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, article 227, "anyone who forces another person to perform a sexual act without the consent of such person, is punished with imprisonment of two to ten years, while in cases where the victim is a minor, the sentence must be not less than five years to 20 years effective imprisonment".
The Women's Network said that in over 70 percent of sexual assault cases, the victims are minor girls.
The Deputy Minister of Justice in Kosovo, Nita Shala, assessing the shocking rape of the minor, announced that the Emergency Response Group will 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. The report that observed the justice system in Kosovo during the period 2019 to 2021 shows that the majority of rape victims are minors, while the low punishment of rapists remains worrying.