Another survivor of wartime sexual violence in Kosovo has come forward with her harrowing testimony on tonight’s Debat Plus show, as part of the special series “The Silence that Kills – The True Scream of War.”
Now a woman bearing deep emotional scars, she recounted the terrifying moments she endured during the Kosovo War, when at the age of 19, she and a female relative were separated from their families in search of the relative’s husband—an active member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), killed by Serbian forces.
“When the bombings began in our village, we left our homes,” she said. “I left with a relative of mine. We separated from our families to find her husband. She had heard he had been killed, and we wanted to confirm whether it was true—whether he was really dead or still alive.”
Host Ermal Panduri clarified:
“So, you agreed to separate from your family to help this relative find her husband, whom she believed had been killed?”
The survivor replied:
“Yes. I wanted to know if it was true that he had been murdered… unfortunately, it was.”
When asked if the man was a KLA soldier, she responded:
“Yes, he fought on the front lines. He was very young, had only been married for seven years, and had many small children. I felt for her. Her children were still so little. When we went to the house, she found out her husband had been killed.”
The survivor went on to explain that despite the risks and chaos, she did not hesitate to support her grieving relative—an act of courage that led them both into the hands of those who would later subject them to brutal sexual violence.
The full testimony, broadcast as part of the program’s ongoing mission to break the silence surrounding wartime sexual crimes, offers a painful yet vital account of the atrocities committed during the war in Kosovo. Her story adds to the growing number of women who have decided to speak publicly, demanding recognition, justice, and healing.
