UNMIK Police Briefing Notes
06 May, 2002

Item 1 - Police Arrest Man for Attempted Rape

Around mid-day on the 29th of April, an 18 year-old K-Albanian female was attacked by a stalker at Orroberde village in Istok as she was walking along the road. The suspect forced the victim to the ground and attempted to rape her but fled when he saw a passerby approaching.

The victim immediately reported the incident to a police patrol. A 21 year-old K-Albanian male suspect has been arrested on charges of attempted rape and is currently lodged in the Istok Detention Centre.

UNMIK Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

Item 2 - Neighbourhood Squabble Ends in Shooting

Even as we have just ended the second weapons amnesty program in Kosovo, here is another example of what these weapons could mean when kept as family possessions.

In the evening of 2nd May in the Shtedim village in Podujevo, children from two families were engaged in a fight. Seeing his son outnumbered, one of the parents intervened. At this, adults of the other family too got involved and blows were exchanged.

The brawl ended around 6:15 pm but not in the way neighbourhood squabbles normally do. It ended when, in a fit of rage, one of the parents ran into his house, picked up his shotgun and fired a shot from the second floor of the house.

A five year-old boy and a 19 year-old female, both from the same family, sustained gunshot wounds and are recovering in hospital from non-life threatening injuries.

The 37 year-old K-Albanian male who had fired the shot has been arrested after he voluntarily surrendered to the Police with his weapon.

If that gun had not been ready at hand, the suspect would have considered other options to settle the dispute than shooting a child and a young woman and ending up in prison himself.

Item 3 - Responsible Citizens Catch Criminal

At 7:30 pm on 29th April in Gjakova a young K-Albanian female was walking home after the end of the days work when she was waylaid by a criminal who pushed her to the ground, snatched her purse and ran away with the valuables.

Hearing the victim's cries for help some passersby gave chase to the suspect and were able to apprehend him with the victim's purse.

A police patrol that later reached the scene arrested the 20 year-old K-Albanian male suspect for attempted robbery.

As we get more and more such cases of cooperation of citizens with the police in fighting crime on the streets of Kosovo, we are pleased to note a growing sense of social responsibility and a realization among people that crime must be fought primarily at the community level.