Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga said yesterday that domestic violence in Kosovo still remains a frequently occurring issue. “Also, in the reports issued by international organisations on progress in Kosovo, domestic violence is still classified as a deficiency which continues to challenge democracy and human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the country and by the laws in force. Despite the many challenges and priorities, institutions of the Republic of Kosovo have shown exceptional attention to this phenomenon. Through the mechanisms built in cooperation with civil society and international partners, institutions of the Republic of Kosovo have focused their activities on three main pillars: prevention, protection and rehabilitation and reintegration of the individuals affected by domestic violence. The assessment undertaken as a result of the National Strategy against Domestic Violence undertaken by the US Embassy and UNWOMEN has identified that majority of the cases of domestic violence are ignored by the criminal courts and are heard by civil courts as contentious issues between private individuals,” Jahjaga said. She made these comments at the launching ceremony of the manual for judges and prosecutors for handling of the domestic violence cases. Jahjaga also added that this manual addresses the best practices for the justice system in order for them to proceed in these cases in most effective manner, by both criminal and civil courts.
