Kosovo recorded 13 murders during the first six months of 2026

Three murders shocked Kosovo during the last week alone: one case occurred in Malisheva, while two others took place in Prizren.

At midnight on Thursday, a 15-year-old lost his life after being stabbed by a 17-year-old. However, he was not the only victim that week.

On Monday, a 25-year-old pregnant woman was murdered in Malisheva. Two days later, on Wednesday, an 80-year-old woman was allegedly murdered in Prizren. In both cases, suspicion has fallen on the victims’ husbands.

The latest cases are not the only ones demonstrating the scale of this phenomenon. According to the Kosovo Police, 13 murders were reported between January and June 2026, while the number was 19 throughout 2025.

The police also announced that, regarding murders committed within families from January through August 26, 2026, four female victims had been recorded. This figure also includes the victim in the Prizren case.

Sociologist Genc Xërxa told Tëvë1 that these incidents are caused by a number of factors. According to him, society remains patriarchal, and women are often perceived more as property than as devoted and equal partners in family relationships.

Xërxa emphasized that another problem is the institutional normalization of violence. He said that in some cases even a slap or a conflict between couples is treated as something normal, allowing the violence to recur and later spiral out of control.

Security expert Fatmir Çollaku considers the number of murder cases troubling for society as a whole. He said that, unfortunately, the cases are increasing and that every life lost represents a major loss not only for the victims’ families but also for society.

According to Çollaku, numerous or frequent murders also create a sense of insecurity among other citizens, particularly when the victims are women. For this reason, he called for a response from society as a whole and from the relevant institutions.

Çollaku also raised concerns about the possession of unlicensed weapons. According to him, when a murder is committed with a firearm, prevention should focus on confiscating and collecting illegal weapons in the hands of citizens.

He said that, according to experts on the issue, citizens continue to possess a considerable number of unlicensed weapons, although the figure was much higher 10 or 20 years ago.

To prevent such cases from recurring, Çollaku called on the responsible institutions to take stronger preventive measures.