Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said today in Pristina that Kosovo’s society needs to speak in a single voice in support of sexual violence survivors in conflict. In his address at a conference in support of sexual violence survivors, Thaci said: “we need to seek more support from our society so that sexual violence survivors can set aside their bitter past and build a better future. The survivors of sexual violence need more institutional and societal support, greater support in family, community and society … All of us need to fight together against the stigmatization of sexual violence survivors. For us, the war ended in 1999, but for the victims of sexual violence war was never over. Because of the stigmatization, which should not even exist, they continue to suffer in silence. This situation must not continue, therefore, all of us need to encourage the survivors to face their bitter past and we will support them. We will not judge them; we will love them. We must not stigmatise them, but support them by becoming their voice,” Thaci said. Telegrafi quotes Thaci as saying that “it is concerning how the international community is keeping silent about criminals that carried out sexual crimes against the people of Kosovo”.
