For the second day in a row, thousands of people protest the alleged rape of an 11-year-old girl in the capital Pristina. Participants in the demonstration demanded measures against this type of crime. Images and videos posted on social media show the main Kosovo government building and the Ministry of Justice painted red.
A local women’s association organized a vigil and protesters carried banners reading “We demand protection for girls and women” and “Raise your children”. One of the organizers, activist Trina Benako, said the rape of an 11-year-old girl is symbolic of the patriarchal system of society in Kosovo.
Five people, including three minors, were charged with rape, accused of sexually assaulting them in broad daylight on August 27 in a Pristina park for several hours. All defendants are arrested.
Pristina’s police chief reportedly resigned on Wednesday due to “professional conscience” following the incident.
According to protest participants, in the first six months of this year, only 36 cases of rape were reported to Kosovo police. For this reason, the latest case of rape of minors in Pristina, they say, is not only an “ugly and sad event” but also a “manifestation of the systemic violence that Kosovo girls and women are subjected to on a daily basis”.
According to activist Benako, the crowd will continue to protest until the government imposes effective measures to punish those who commit sexual violence.
Source: EuroNews
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