Hundreds of people protested outside police headquarters in Kosovo's capital to demand strong action against sexual abuse.
The rally on February 7 came in response to the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in the town of Drenas, 30 kilometers west of Pristina.
The protesters expressed anger over what they claimed was police inaction to the girl’s sexual abuse claims, with slogans such as "Rapists in prison" and "Hands off, no rape!"
The teenager went to police to open a case against her teacher, who she accused of sexually abusing her in September 2017. She then said that the officer raped her.
Local media reported that the girl became pregnant but was forced to have an abortion by the police officer.
The officer has since been detained for questioning by prosecutors, while authorities in Drenas have suspended the teacher from his job pending the investigation.
The protest organizers called on the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo to thoroughly investigate the case and educate officers on how to deal with incidents and claims of sexual violence.
Another protest rally was scheduled for February 8 outside the police station in Drenas, according to the Youth Initiative for Human Rights.
