Catcalling from cars, lewd comments, being stopped and followed, as well as online stalking, are increasingly prevalent issues faced by women in northern Kosovo. This might have been just another distressing account of violence against women had these women not been of Serbian nationality and their aggressors, without exception, Albanians. And if the motivations behind this harassment had been of a sexual nature rather than mere pressure or attacks that, evidently, carry a deeper connotation.
An informal Group of women from North Kosovo has collected 30 testimonies in a single day from girls and women of Serbian nationality, aged between 15 and 60, who have been victims of harassment in recent past. The issue of sexual harassment is known to KFOR, the EU, and Western embassies in Priština, according to the Women’s group from North Kosovo. The NGO “Aktiv” in North Mitrovica has set up a dedicated hotline for victims to come forward. The police confirm that several cases have been reported.
The anticipated opening of the main bridge over the Ibar, which divides North and South Mitrovica, along with the establishment of various Albanian-owned businesses, has brought new challenges, particularly for the women of the only urban area in Kosovo with a majority Serbian population. Catcalling by the Albanian guests of local cafes and restaurants has become common, as well as recording videos of girls passing by. Our sources report that girls and women are often followed by cars, stopped, catcalled, and asked for personal information.
“I experienced sexual harassment twice in the North Mitrovica this year, once in the evening, more or less in the centre of Mitrovica, when a car full of young men stopped and they started catcalling me. The second time was in broad daylight in Bošnjačka Mahala when an older man started whistling at me on the street. I didn’t report it to the police. In the first instance, I froze in fear and couldn’t remember the car’s registration number or anything that would help identification. Even if the police were to act professionally, it would be their word against mine” recounts Milica Radovanović from the NGO “New Social Initiative” (“Nova društvena inicijativa”) from the North Mitrovica.
Ustupljene fotografije / Zorica Vorgučić / Privatna argiva
Milica is just one of many female residents of this city who has been facing harassment on the streets in recent months. But there have been even more horrifying accounts. In anonymous testimonies, women from the north describe vulgarities, threatening messages, and even instances of men exposing themselves and masturbating in public. Many are reluctant to speak out publicly, fearing potential repercussions.
“A man opened his window and began catcalling in English, which I could tell was not his native language, while following me in his car. I quickened my pace, but he kept driving behind me. At one point, he parked and approached me on foot. He opened his car door, got out, and began masturbating while standing in front of me, naked to his knees. I froze on the steps, knowing that if I tried to go back, he would follow me in his car as he clearly knew the area well,” recounted one victim, who wished to remain anonymous.
Milica Radovanović notes that the prevailing emotion during the collection of testimonies was anger.
“The testimonies are anonymous, but I know the faces behind each story. In addition, we asked women to describe their experiences in as much detail as possible. No woman should have to endure this. I was particularly struck by accounts of harassment by police officers—those who are supposed to protect them when reporting such incidents. Alongside anger, I feel an overwhelming frustration over the fact that I am helpless to do anything to stop it,” Milica explained.
What Milica Radovanović and a few other women from North Kosovo—mostly members of civil society organisations—have managed to do is form a group focused on gathering data about harassment, security issues, and other forms of rights violations affecting Serbs in the north. These data include the testimonies of women.
“These are women from 15 to 60 years of age. It is crucial for people to understand that this has nothing to do with ‘sexual attraction’, it’s not just younger girls dressed ‘provocatively’ who face catcalling, it’s not about that. Women of all ages are being catcalled. I believe the sole purpose of this behaviour is to assert dominance and intimidate women, and I must say it is quite effective. Most cases involve men who catcall women from their cars, inviting them to enter, and often follow them while making lewd comments… These are malicious individuals from the south—an area with a majority Albanian population—who, encouraged by the nationalist behaviour of the government and the inaction of the police, feel emboldened and protected enough to come into North Mitrovica during the day and night to intimidate women,” Radovanović stated, adding that harassment has intensified in the past year.
What particularly worries her is the involvement of certain members of the Kosovo Police in the sexual harassment of women in the north.
“We have testimonies where women describe harassment by police officers, whether it’s receiving friend requests on social media after passing through the Jarinje administrative crossing and producing their identity cards, or being catcalled, or police officers insisting on having coffee with them to get to know them better. Furthermore, the Kosovo Police in the north have become an instrument of government propaganda, leading to a lack of trust in the community and a fear that reporting incidents could be exploited for further intimidation,” adds Milica Radovanović.
These are the reasons why, she explains, most women hesitate to report such cases to the police. However, Petrit Fejza, Commander of the North Regional Police Station, confirmed to NIN that their department has registered cases of harassment but noted that some reports were dismissed because, as he stated, video surveillance revealed “that no incident occurred.”
“We have ten cases of harassment, seven identified, while three are under investigation,” Fejza replied.
However, the Commander of the North Regional Police Station did not respond to inquiries regarding whether any members of the Kosovo Police were involved in the harassment.
Letter to KFOR
A group of women from the north has sent a letter with 415 signatures of women from the North Kosovo to the former KFOR commander, Ozkan Ulutaş. In this letter, as Milica Radovanović highlights, all the issues faced by Serbs in the north are outlined, including the problem of sexual harassment.
“KFOR, UNMIK, representatives of the EU, and other embassies are aware of this issue. Given their current role in Kosovo, as well as their previous involvement in establishing and supporting these institutions, we have justifiable reasons to expect them to take action and prevent further deterioration of the security situation,” emphasizes Radovanović.
It is important to note that what has recently been happening in North Kosovo is not a new issue in the south. The harassment of women south of the Ibar has been ongoing for years. Numerous news reports and reports from organisations focused on women’s rights confirm this. The Kosovo Women’s Network extensively covered the issue of gender-based harassment in their 2016 report. Representatives of Kosovo’s institutions are also aware of this issue; recently, Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, addressed it at a conference in Priština, stressing the need for the Government to work with the civil sector and international organisations to take additional measures in order to create a safe environment for victims and encourage them to report cases.
“The problem is that the blame is often placed on the victims rather than the perpetrators. Young women are afraid to report such acts due to shame and fear. I urge them to come forward, as it is only in this way that we can gain a true picture and prevent such acts from happening again. This is indeed a criminal offence, even when it involves mild forms of harassment, such as comments on appearance,” stated Haxhiu.
Harassment in the southern part of Kosovo has persisted significantly longer than in the north. This is evidenced by Milica Stojanović Kostić from the NGO “Right to Right” (“Pravo na pravo”) based in Gračanica.
“This type of harassment began happening to me over ten years ago in Gračanica, and it has not ceased to this day. Sexist remarks occur on the main road (Priština-Gnjilane) that runs through our town. It started when I was a girl. I experienced a frightening situation where a car followed me the entire time I was walking through the village, and at one point it even stopped at the bus stop where I was waiting for a taxi to take me home because I was very scared. Then I got into the taxi, we set off, and I asked the driver to take a different route; however, the man following me continued to follow us. When I arrived in front of my house, I asked the taxi driver to see where the car would go, and he told me that he saw it continuing towards Priština,” recounted Milica Stojanović Kostić.
She noted that catcalling occurs day in and day out, with the victims most often being young women.
“Generally, the victims are young women. A car followed me slowly, and the passenger shouted something in Albanian through the open window that I didn’t fully understand, but I caught words like ‘loçkë’, which should mean ‘pretty’ or ‘sweet’. The middle finger is often something you can see. Teenage girls and young women are primarily targeted, but I keep receiving such remarks today, even though I am pregnant,” our source stated.
When asked why such cases are not reported, Milica replies: “I believe that distrust in institutions is key to every problem we have, including this one. If I had more faith that the system designed to protect me would actually do so, perhaps I would dare to report it. As a young girl, I had a completely different perception. Now, if the institutions aren’t doing their job, I would apply public pressure on them. That’s why I understand the girls who remain silent, but I think they should be encouraged to report such cases,” says Stojanović Kostić.
There are many reasons for the distrust in the Kosovo Police, adds Milica Radovanović from North Mitrovica.
“We are no longer the only ones speaking out; you could see this in the statement from the American embassy – ‘The Kosovo Police have been instrumentalised by the Kosovo Government.’ Although there are professional individuals within the police, unfortunately, they are often powerless to resist orders from their superiors, and those who once enjoyed the trust of the community are now seen as an extended arm of Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement. Even in cases where individuals have filed formal complaints, most have remained unresolved or dismissed. The police are here to serve the Government’s agenda, and if someone reports a case that contradicts the official narrative of Self-Determination regarding what is happening in the north, it will be swept under the carpet.”
Hotline for Citizen Reports
The NGO “Aktiv” from North Mitrovica has launched a campaign and set up a hotline for reporting incidents and violations of citizens’ rights in the North Kosovo.
Citizens can report verbal, physical, or sexual harassment of women and girls – any form of catcalling, insults, or inappropriate behaviour; traffic issues; violations of the Law on the Use of Languages; cases where citizens believe that the police, the Police Inspectorate, or other institutions have not acted correctly or transparently; freedom of speech and the right to protest; incidents at police checkpoints; issues with the police and their attitude towards citizens and the media.
“In September, more than ten people from North Mitrovica reported incidents of harassment, mainly around the main bridge, the promenade, and the multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Bošnjačka Mahala. Such cases were previously rare, so this trend has certainly caused concern among residents in the north. At the same time, the high level of distrust in the police and Kosovo institutions responsible for investigating such cases influenced the decision to reactivate the existing hotline, through which citizens are invited to report various incidents,” says Miodrag Milićević, director of the NGO “Aktiv,” who himself was a victim of inappropriate conduct by Kosovo special forces near the Jarinje crossing in late 2022, when he was verbally and physically harassed by uniformed individuals wearing balaclavas.
Citizens of Serbian nationality from North Kosovo, he says, often report excessive use of force and discrimination by the Kosovo Police.
“Some of them claim that police officers, particularly those who do not speak Serbian, act arrogantly, issue traffic fines in Albanian and display unprofessional behaviour, such as unnecessary searches or using threats during arrests. They also state that they are treated with bias, often simply because of Serbian registration plates or expressing disagreement with police actions. The police deny such claims,” he explains.
Milićević says that the current situation in North Kosovo is causing deep concern among citizens.
“Parents, in particular, are afraid of unknown individuals in the north, and much more often do not allow their children to go to the only promenade in North Mitrovica. Many fear a potential escalation of conflict, and feel completely helpless, hoping that the international community will influence the central authorities to stabilise the situation in North Kosovo,” says Miodrag Milićević.