Prishtina, July 27, 2025 – The Basic Court in Prishtina is set to deliver its first verdict in absentia for a case of wartime sexual violence. The ruling, expected tomorrow, concerns two former police officers, Ivica Rajković and Dragan Denić, who are accused of raping a woman during the Kosovo war.
The crime occurred in the village of Kolovicë, where the female survivor was raped in front of her husband. His testimony has been crucial in the court proceedings and served as a key piece of evidence in the trial. According to witness accounts, the woman was assaulted by six men, but only Rajković and Denić were identified by the victim.
In addition to the rape charge, witness testimonies suggest that both accused also committed other war crimes including torture, looting, and abuse, though these crimes are not part of the current indictment.
The trial has been conducted in absentia, as both accused individuals remain at large and have not been apprehended by law enforcement authorities.
This is the fourth wartime sexual violence case brought to trial and supported by the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT).
To date, three other verdicts have been issued in cases of conflict-related sexual violence:
- Zoran Vukotić was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
- In a separate case, Vukotić was acquitted.
- Živojin Nešić “Zhika” was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
However, this case marks the first time that a verdict for wartime sexual violence is being delivered in absentia in Kosovo.
