Sunday was fatal for an 18-year-old girl , whose lifeless body was brought to the Emergency Centre in Ferizaj.

Kosovo Police has described the case as “Aggravated Murder”, and so far one suspect has been arrested, while the second suspect is on the run. This case reveals once again the institutional shortcomings in treating the women’s killings and femicide.

The killing of this girl is by no means an isolated case or a coincidence – this girl lost her life in a country where every murder of women is accompanied by institutional silence, delays in investigations, and low sentences for killers. As for every murder of women by men here we have a chain of culprits within the institutions.

How is it possible to leave a lifeless body of a woman in a health institution, without any accountability?

Let us recall here that hospitals have an obligation to report to security institutions of all cases where there are signs of violence, and to ensure that perpetrators of violence do not escape.

Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) demands that the investigation of the killing of an 18-year-old girl be a priority for the investigative bodies, and that the perpetrators receive the maximum sentence. We also announce through this press release that KWN will follow the case closely and seek justice.

At the same time, we call on citizens to cooperate in finding the second suspect, and we call on the media to report with the focus on preserving the dignity of the victim – only in this way will each of us play our role in the uncompromising fight against the murder of girls and women.

KWN will not stop until the killings of girls and women are not treated only as a daily news or private matter.

Below you can find KWN’s latest research on violence against women and the institutional response to it:

From Laws to Action