Survivors Speak Out: Shyhrete Tahiri-Sylejmani, Kosovo

Shyhrete Tahiri-Sylejmani is a survivor of sexual #torture from the #Kosovo War. In April 1999, Serbian soldiers, with their faces covered, entered her home and raped her in front of her two small children. Local rights groups estimate up to 20,000 women, and some men, were raped by Serb forces in Kosovo between February 1998 and June 1999. Yet intense social stigma around rape silenced survivors for decades. Shyhrete is only the second woman to speak publicly about her ordeal. "It was really difficult to make a decision to open up about what happened to me because I think it's very sensitive and very painful. It hurts every day," says Shyhrete. Shyhrete received rehabilitation at the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims, which specialises in documenting and treating wartime sexual violence. "Sharing the story is like you take a burden from your soul that is hundreds of pounds, and you feel so much light in your soul. And I encourage them that healing is when you share your pain, when you share your story. That's where the healing begins." Shyhrete now helps other survivors share their experiences as a member of the SEMA network. And she recently returned to the scene of her rape as part of giving evidence to Kosovo’s Special Prosecution for #WarCrimes. To learn more about #HumanRights and #rehabilitation in Kosovo, please visit www.KRCT.org