We must by now ascertain this week as a week of our civic and institutional willingness and dedication to raise our voice of awareness for the crime victim’s rights, of all type. It is a week of respect, avocation and building of a system of justice in which the victims have complete access in accordance with their needs, which prevents their further victimization and enable their active re-participation in society.
Honourable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kuçi,
Honourable Chief State Prosecutor, Mr. Kabashi,
Honourable Chairman of the Judicial Council of Kosovo, Mr. Peci,
Honourable Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, Mr. Hasani,
Honourable Ambassador Jacobson,
Honourable representatives of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo,
Honourable participants;
We must by now ascertain this week as a week of our civic and institutional willingness and dedication to raise our voice of awareness for the crime victim’s rights, of all type. It is a week of respect, avocation and building of a system of justice in which the victims have complete access in accordance with their needs, which prevents their further victimization and enable their active re-participation in society.
It is the weeks of awareness such as this week of the crime victim’s rights, during which we see the work which we as institutions and as a society have undertaken towards fulfilment of our democratic aims and ambitions, in time period of over a decade. Weeks such as this one bring into perspective the challenges we face and the tasks ahead.
It is an obligation of the institutions and of the whole of the society not to allow the victimization of a part of ours, of our children, the women, of the elderly or anyone else. We must do more to protect our community against any danger the members might face, in order for them not to become a casualty of crime.
In many cases the crime victims are a casualty of violence and continuous torture and they live their lives by taking upon them the guilt of the violence exercised on them. We need to change this reality once and for all. We must confer the guilt from the victim to the perpetrators of the crime and violence, and bring the genuinely guilty in front of justice.
Not long ago our society was faced with a debate related to the victims of rape and violence during the war period. We must not allow such debates to split our society and to obscure our path towards free and democratic societies. We must continue the path towards the recognition of a legal status for this category of the war victims, in order to ensure the necessary dignified institutional and civic support and backing they deserve.
Honourable participants,
Day after day, with continuous endeavours and incessant dedication, we are building a just society which respects and provides dignity for each of its citizens. Being led by the best examples of the democratic societies we are building a state of justice where rule of law prevails and where the citizens, regardless, feel safe and protected.
I want to praise today as the guardians of justice, of the independence of everyone, of the right to life, all the institutions and members of the civil society who, through their work have offered legal and social aid to the crime victims. Who have enabled their access to justice and have offered continuous support through their rehabilitation, education, employment and awareness programs, thus making their reintegration and re-socialization possible.
We must continue to protect the crime victims, proving that this country does not recognize the weak or the strong, but that in this country all are equal in front of the law and in the opportunities they are offered. This endeavour of ours will prove successful only through closer cooperation between institutions, civil society and each citizen, as well as through a general awareness of our society.
I express once again my personal and institutional dedication to protect all crime victims and to offer them their guaranteed rights as equal citizens of this country.
For a society without discrimination, for an all inclusive Kosovo, for a brighter future of ours.
Thank you.