This resolution calls for accountability for unpunished Serbian sexual war crimes during the 1999 Kosovo war, specifically highlighting the case of U.S. citizen and survivor Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman.
Julie Johnson
Representative
TX-32
This resolution formally condemns the impunity surrounding unpunished Serbian sexual war crimes from the 1999 Kosovo War, centering on the case of U.S. citizen and survivor Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman. It details the systemic failures of justice mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable for widespread sexual and gender-based violence during the conflict. The bill urges the Serbian government to prosecute those responsible for these atrocities against women and calls on the U.S. government to prioritize accountability for wartime sexual violence globally.
Congress Demands Serbia Prosecute War Criminals and Funds Trauma Care for Kosovo War Survivors
This Congressional resolution is essentially the U.S. government formally stepping in to shine a massive spotlight on unpunished sexual war crimes from the 1999 Kosovo War, specifically focusing on the case of U.S. citizen Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman. The text details how Ms. Goodman was brutally raped by Serbian police officers at age 16 and how, despite numerous reports to international bodies (UNMIK, EULEX) and local courts over two decades, her perpetrators were ultimately released by the Supreme Court of Kosovo in 2014 after brief convictions. The resolution condemns this failure of justice and declares that the U.S. sees the prevention of gender-based violence globally as both a moral duty and a strategic interest.
The Failure of Justice and the Call for Accountability
For anyone who believes the international system should deliver justice, this resolution is a stark, detailed account of its failure. It notes that while an estimated 20,000 people were victims of conflict-related sexual violence during the war, only one perpetrator has been successfully convicted as of 2021. Congress is explicitly recognizing that the mechanisms meant to provide justice—including the International Criminal Tribunal, UNMIK, and EULEX—have largely failed these victims. This isn't just history; it’s a direct challenge to the idea that wartime atrocities can be swept under the rug, making it clear that the U.S. is not letting this go.
Direct Demands on Serbia and Kosovo
The resolution doesn't mince words about who needs to act. It commends Kosovo for its efforts, including observing April 14th as the Day of Survivors of Sexual Violence, and urges them to prioritize and fast-track cases involving 1999 war-related sexual assault. The real pressure, however, is on the Government of Serbia. Congress demands that Serbia bring the individuals responsible for the crimes against Ms. Goodman to justice, stop protecting or praising any war criminals from the conflict, and enforce laws to hold known perpetrators accountable. Furthermore, Serbia is called upon to create systems to track and investigate known offenders, ensuring they can be extradited to Kosovo to face justice. For anyone in the former Serbian forces implicated in these crimes, this resolution signals that the U.S. is now actively pushing for their prosecution and extradition.
What the U.S. Government Must Do
This isn't just a strongly worded letter; it includes marching orders for the U.S. government. The resolution requires the U.S. to raise Ms. Goodman’s case directly in all diplomatic engagements with Serbia, making accountability for war crimes against women a foreign policy priority. Crucially, it also calls for the U.S. to dedicate sufficient funding to support various projects in Kosovo. This funding is ear-marked for training judges and police on handling these sensitive cases, and supporting a rehabilitation center focused on the physical and mental recovery of survivors of war trauma and sexual violence, along with providing job training opportunities. For survivors in Kosovo, this means a potential influx of dedicated resources aimed at long-term healing and stability.