When You Share Your Story, That's When the Healing Begins.
This interview is part of the United Against Torture Consortium’s Voices for Human Dignity multimedia initiative. This initiative celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Convention against Torture (1984-2024) by giving a voice to torture victims, experts, and activists.
Shyhrete Tahiri-Sylejmani is a survivor of sexual torture from the Kosovo War. In April 1999, Serbian soldiers, with their faces covered, entered her home and sexually assaulted her in front of her two small children.
Intense social stigma around sexual violence silenced survivors for decades. When she gave her first press conference in 2019, Tahiri-Sylejmani was only the second woman to speak openly and publicly about her ordeal.
“It was really difficult to make a decision to open up about what happened to me because I think it's very sensitive and very painful. It hurts every day,” said Tahiri-Sylejmani. “They were there for me, the psychologist, and they are professional. How to prepare you, how to feel better, not pushing you, but making you comfortable. To go by yourself it's really, really hard.”
Since filing her own criminal complaint, Tahiri-Sylejmani has dedicated herself to helping other survivors share their experiences. She has also spoken at high-profile events across Europe and the United States, including the launch of the United Against Torture Consortium at the EU headquarters in Brussels.
“Sharing the story is like you take a burden from your soul that is hundreds of pounds, and you feel so much light in your soul,” said Tahiri-Sylejmani. “And I encourage them that healing is when you share your pain, when you share your story. That's where the healing begins.”
This content was produced by the #UnitedAgainstTorture Consortium (OMCT, IRCT, FIACT, APT, OMEGA and REDRESS), funded by the EU. The contents are the sole responsibility of UATC and do not necessarily reflect the position of the EU.
