Petrinja , Croatia - More than two decades and therapy have done little to heal Ana Horvatinec's trauma of wartime rape by her neighbours in the Croatian town of Vukovar.
"There were six of them... I had to watch what they did to my daughter and she had to watch what they did to me," Horvatinec told AFP.
After years of neglect, Horvatinec and other victims of sexual violence committed during Croatia's 1991-1995 war of independence believe a new bill will bring a crucial acknowledgement of their suffering, as well as compensation.
The rapists "were people I knew", said the chain-smoking 65-year-old.
"We should be compensated for what we went through... Now at last, we are being recognised as victims of this crime," added Horvatinec.
Between 1,500 and 2,200 people, most of them women, suffered rape and other severe forms of sexual violence during the Croatia war, the UN says.
Only 147 cases have been recognised, and the vast majority of crimes remain unreported.
This month, the government announced its backing for legislation, set to be voted in May, entitling victims to a one-time compensation payment of up to 20,000 euros ($21,500), a 320 euro ($340) allowance, health care, psychological counselling and legal aid.
AFP
