Under the current law, unlike military victims, civilian victims must submit documents dating three months from the end of the animosities, which is a hurdle in proving status, Nadj said at a meeting in parliament with women raped in the 1991-95 Homeland War.
Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic said that as of next year, there would be "more capacity for prosecuting war crimes."
He said amendments to the penal code would change the powers of court, making it possible to prosecute the gravest crimes, including war crimes and war rapes. "The victims can never be compensated. It's important that we do this as soon as possible, because every day is a lost day."
Criminal police chief Vitomir Bjelic said the Interior Ministry would start making a rape victims database.
He said 9,000 had been tried for war crimes but did not say how many rapists.
Dubravka Colak of the State Prosecutor's Office said the number of rapes was much higher than the number of victims, and that the victims should be encouraged to give depositions, otherwise a crime could not be proved.
Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said it was still thought that war rape was shameful for the woman and not for the perpetrator. "That's what we have to deal with, in court and through action," she said, adding that women were often deterred from pressing charges because of such attitudes.
She said murder and rape committed in war constituted the same level of war crime.
This was the first meeting on war rapes in 20 years. "That's late, but it's certainly better than never," said Pusic.