May 31, 2022
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is today introducing a resolution in honor and support of Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman, a North Texas resident, a survivor of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo and a human-rights activist. The resolution will also call on the U.S. to devote resources to ensuring that the Government of Serbia properly investigates and prosecutes all those responsible for sexual violence during the Kosovo war.
“I am so inspired by Vasifje’s bravery in sharing her own harrowing story, and shining a bright light on the reality of sexual violence committed by the Serbian military and police during the Kosovo war,” said Allred. “The reports of sexual violence happening in Ukraine are a stark reminder that we must be clear-eyed about the tragedies of the past, and uplift survivors’ stories so we can work toward accountability and ensure this never happens again. That’s why this resolution is so important, and I look forward to building support for it so it passes the full House.”
“Today is a proud moment for me, the 20,000 survivors of sexual war crimes in Kosova and around the world, as my representative in the U.S. Congress Rep. Colin Allred is introducing a Resolution against rape as a weapon of war and the need for justice and accountability,” said Krasniqi-Goodman. “I am immensely grateful to him and the co-sponsors for standing up in support of survivors in our plight for justice. Every step in our fight gives hope to others and encourages them to stand up and continue the fight. We are thankful to Rally for Her Justice’s commitment to this issue, to have our voices heard and their support into pushing this legislation forward.”
Sexual and gender-based violence continues to be a shameful part of modern war as recently evidenced by the horrifying atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine. As the U.S. and our allies look to collect evidence and hold accountable those responsible for war crimes in today’s conflicts, it is important to examine lessons from the past.
The resolution was also cosponsored by Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Juan Vargas (CA-51) and Marc Veasey (TXz-33). Read the resolution here:
Document
May 30 2022 Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman Kosovo Surviviors Resolution.pdf (43.97 KB)
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Background on Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman and the War in Kosovo:
Following the disintegration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991, bloody wars broke out across the Balkans, leading to crimes against humanity, a finding of genocide in Srebenica and one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in Europe since World War II.
Kosovo was one of the Balkan states that sought to gain their independence from the autocratic rule of war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. A State Department report found that during the Kosovo War, over 1.5 million Kosovar Albanians were forcibly displaced from their homes and Serbian forces and paramilitaries implemented a systematic campaign to ethnically cleanse Kosovo, perpetrating war crimes that included the use of rape as a weapon of war. An estimated 20,000 people were victims of conflict-related sexual violence during the war.
Krasniqi-Goodman was 16 years old during the Kosovo war living in Stanovc I Poshtem, Kosovo when she was abducted from her home and raped by a Serbian police officer and another individual. Krasniqi-Goodman survived that harrowing experience and after the war sought to hold the individuals who assaulted her responsible, but to this day none have been brought to justice.
Krasniqi-Goodman has become an outspoken advocate for victims of sexual violence during the conflict – the first ever from Kosovo to do so. On April 30, 2019, she testified before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs for justice on behalf of victims of war crimes, in a hearing titled “Kosovo’s Wartime Victims: The Quest for Justice.”