The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) is deeply concerned with today’s decision of the Basic Court of Gjakova to reduce the sentence for Pjetër Ndrecaj, for the brutal murder of his wife and daughter, in August 2018. 

The sentence of 24 and a half years in prison, imposed today after the retrial against Ndrecaj is in complete contradiction, except with the circumstances of the commission of the offense, but as well as with the general rules which provide for mitigation or aggravation of the sentence.

The criminal offense “Aggravated Murder” in the Ndrecaj case carries two legal qualifications; the murder of his wife, Valbona Ndrecaj, as well as the murder of their child (9-year-old daughter). For this criminal offense is stipulated a sentence of life imprisonment, in this case the circumstances of the commission of this offense, such as; the manner in which the murders were committed and the fact that the victims were unprotected should have had the effect of aggravating the sentence by imposing a life sentence on the defendant Ndrecaj.

We recall that the purpose of the sanction is to rehabilitate the perpetrator and create public awareness that those who commit such criminal acts will be punished. Reducing Ndrecaj’s sentence not that only cannot rehabilitate him, but in addition it will serve as a motive for others to commit similar acts.

We strongly believe that the Prosecution will file an appeal and that the Court of Appeals will change this decision and impose a maximum sentence for the defendant.