OSCE Mission in Kosovo launches campaign against domestic violence, assists institutions

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 7 March 2012 – A day ahead of the International Women’s Day, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo launched an information campaign urging the public to report cases of domestic violence, and publications to help the local institutions better assist victims of the crime.

The information campaign promoting the helpline for reporting domestic violence and trafficking cases – 0800 111 12 – will run for three weeks and include broadcasting of TV and radio spots and distribution of printed materials.

The two new publications presented today are the OSCE Mission report in adjudication of the domestic violence cases which identifies shortcomings and provides advice to the judiciary on how to improve practices of dealing with such cases. The second one is a comprehensive overview of remedies and resources available to victims, including at the municipal level, which will be distributed to social workers, victim advocates, shelter providers, and police officers.

“Domestic violence is one of the worst abuses. It destroys families, damages children and has a corrosive effect on the whole society” said Ambassador Werner Almhofer, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. “In Kosovo, out of 1,046 domestic violence cases reported to the police in 2011, 804 involved women as victims.”

“Domestic violence takes place within a family but there is nothing private about it. We must do our best to prevent it and to assist victims. Reporting domestic violence is the first step crucial for identifying, recording and prosecuting perpetrators, as well as for protecting victims.”

According to the report, key shortcomings in addressing domestic violence cases by the courts include failure to timely adjudicate petitions for protection orders, as well as encouraging reconciliation which often results in the recurrence of violence. The report further notes that the legislation needs to be improved in order to clearly distinguish between a protection order and an emergency protection order.

The report will be shared with judicial stakeholders and discussed with judges and prosecutors in regional roundtable meetings over the next two months.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with human rights protection and promotion. The Mission prepares periodic reports on institutions’ responses and compliance with human rights standards and their protection.

The report, the catalogue, and the related campaign materials are available at www.osce.org/kosovo