When Kathryn Bolkovac, Nebraska police officer and divorced mother of a teenage daughter, signs on to a high-paying job with the United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia in 1999, she looks for a fresh start. Before going on a UN peacekeeping mission to Bosnia 13 years ago , Bolkovac, 51, was a police officer in Nebraska. Kathryn Bolkovac, from Nebraska, was sacked by Dyncorp of Virginia, to which peacekeeping police work in Bosnia had been outsourced; her employer claimed she had filed erroneous time-sheets, but . The experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a cop from Nebraska, who worked as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and exposed a U.N. sex scandal that was covered up. Meanwhile, there are now more peacekeeping missions than ever and still no whistleblower protections, vetting systems or victim-centred procedures in place. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. said. On Oct. 9, 2000, she sent an email to about 50 people at the U.N., DynCorp, and the IPTF. What she finds in the squalor of Sarajevo is deeper-rooted and more degrading than ethnic hatred. Cras ut condimentum turpis. Nulla facilisi. She tells Nisha Lilia Diu her incredible story, now the . lot to do with it," she said. Kathryn Bolkovac Bolkovac is a former Nebraska policewoman who served as an International Police Task Force human rights investigator in Bosnia. room. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. I'm not "So many of these girls were obviously not free to speak and were afraid for their lives and certainly weren't going to tell the very people who were perpetrating crimes against them, who came to 'save' them, that they wanted out," Balkovac says. She designed and taught a masters level course at the University for Peace. Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. She attempted to get a year's Kathryn, now 50, a divorced mother-of-three from Nebraska in the United States, was specialising in domestic abuse issues and child sex crimes when she saw an advert placed by private military contractor DynCorp. She has suffered emotional, financial, familial and professional turmoil since she decided to do the right thing, and still struggles to give the fight for justice a place in her daily life. prompting Bolkovac to write a 650-page manuscript. "I'd been praying it would come to Lincoln," she said. from the lawsuit, about $175,000 at the time. "It's really difficult. The story, inspired by Bolkovac's experiences in Bosnia and her subsequent book account, is dynamite. After I won the lawsuit they said there had been a change in company culture but nothing changed, says Kathryn. her children's college expenses. In June 2001, Bolkovac sued a DynCorp subsidiary in Britain, saying she had been wrongfully dismissed in retaliation for reporting the behavior of her fellow officers. "These crimes are perpetrated by individual men who rape and torture girls on mission, then go home to their wives. Bolkovac was shipped out to Bosnia, where DynCorp . Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. But it didnt take long for Bolkovac to realize that DynCorp was engaging in the kinds of human rights violations it was meant to combat. This corruption flew all the way to the top of the United Nations and to our State Department and diplomats, Bolkovac said. Kathryn tries to get transferred to the area but has no luck. Andrei Alexandru/Samuel Goldwyn Films As she explained why being a whistleblower really is such a difficult thing to do, she reaffirmed her commitment to accountability and bringing perpetrators to justice. Bolkovac's co-workers began hearing rumors that she would be Kathryn Bolkovac is a former Lincoln Police Department investigator, consultant, and human rights advocate (Diu, 2012). They were repeated raped and beaten, devastated psychologically and Media Arts Center. These cases got progressively worse, Bolkovac continued, until I actually had a U.S. contractor who was an American police officer working with me actually tell me that he had purchased a woman outright from one of the bar owners right outside Sarajevo, and taken her home to keep and to marry and to take back to the States with him.. "This was a difficult time in my life," said Bolkovac. Bolkovac also wrote a memoir, in parallel with the film, in which the characters and company are given their real names. the Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act -- that would bring After the email made its rounds, Bolkovac was demoted to a desk job. A police officer in Lincoln, Neb., who had recently lost custody of her daughters in a divorce settlement, she was looking for a new job that . nonetheless signed on with DynCorp. She says that some reports eventually wound up on the desk of Jacques Paul Klein, the Special Representative to the Security General. Nonetheless, the now-grandmother of six hopes that her story inspires those who similarly find themselves in a position to prevent injustice. she had been dismissed for her revelations, not for falsifying time hide caption. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. Netherlands, was to be in Kansas City this weekend for a family While much has been discoursed, discussed, declared and debated, real, significant and effective action has not been taken. Bosnia. Very similar conditions to what's portrayed in the film, with condoms hanging over the trashcan, their clothes stuffed in plastic bags. Working for a private contracting firm assigned to support the UN peacekeeping mission in that country, she discovered that officers were involved in gross wrongdoing, including human trafficking and forced prostitution. Here we are updating just estimated networth of Kathryn Bolkovac salary, income and assets. I mean, lets face it: the locals didnt have the money to spend on this kind of an operation., Indeed, the operation was expansive. She spoke little English, but kept repeating the word "Florida.". I was pretty fragile. live, or to New Mexico, where her parents retired and she has some Lincoln "Whistleblower" nominated for Nobel Prize. But each thread of evidence she picks up leads to an even more tangled, and disturbing, possibility. Kathryn Bolkovac (Academy Award-winner Rachel Weisz), a single mother, struggles in Lincoln, Nebraska. People ask me continually if I regret what I did or if I would do it again, and, as time has progressed, I would now really need to think about my answer. Kathryn Bolkovac. Bolkovac says she did her best to treat victim reports individually. believed, was in danger. Kathryn Bolkovac (at left), the inspiration for the film The Whistleblower, poses at the Toronto Film Festival in September, 2010 with actress Rachel Weisz, who plays the character based on Bolkovac in the film. She's trying to get closer to her daughter who she lost in a custody battle, so when her superior suggests she take a six month job with a contractor as a U.N. International Police Force monitor in Bosnia, she goes for the $100K paycheck and a chance to help a . Bolkovac has three children from her first marriage, two daughters and a son. In 2001, Kathryn Bolkovac was fired from her position as a human rights investigator for the U.N. International Police Task Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. peacekeepers. only department that did any work," she said. also know about her Social media accounts i.e. After the 2002 trial, Bolkovac appeared in several documentary Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Nulla congue iaculis feugiat. But when highly identifiable internationals were named as perpetrators, she forwarded the cases to the internal affairs unit. Just be forewarned, this is not an easy road ahead of you.. The UN have promised to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers in the CAR. I thought, 'This is tax dollars. Bolkovac has three children from her first marriage, two daughters and a son. with lot of social media fan she often posts many personal photos and videos to interact with her huge fan base social media plateform. fought her dismissal in an English court, using secret tape Kathy is an international speaker, published author and former US police investigator. Speaking to the Observer last week, Bolkovac said: "The thing that stood out about these cases in Bosnia, and cases that have been reported in other [UN] mission areas, is that police and humanitarian workers were frequently involved in not only the facilitation of forced sexual abuse, and the use of children and young women in brothels, but in many instances became involved in the trade by racketeering, bribery and outright falsifying of documents as part of a broader criminal syndicate.". A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. Though shed made many enemies, Bolkovac made at least this one strong ally: Madeleine Rees, the leading U.N. official for gender issues. the long manuscript into a 240-page book, which was released [7][6] While locals were prosecuted, any UN contractors involved had immunity from prosecution in Bosnia, although a number of these officers were forced to resign and leave the country, under suspicion of illegal activity. She says it's important to remember the intense psychological trauma these girls have already been through. California residents do not sell my data request. At the age of years, Kathryn Bolkovac weight not available right now. Kathryn Bolkovac is an American worked as a UN International Police Force Monitor. But more important than the accolades is that everything in the film is true. After Bolkovac was fired, she noted that, although Dyncorp was an American company, her contract was "governed under the laws of England". Praesent eget tellus sit amet enim consectetur condimentum et vel ante. What she finds in the squalor of Sarajevo is deeper-rooted and more degrading than ethnic hatred. [4][5] After a week at the company's training facility in Fort Worth, Texas, Bolkovac was sent to Sarajevo, Bosnia[3] where she worked as a human rights investigator for three months. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. who had a vested interest in protecting the U.N. and DynCorp, to She cooperated with Human Rights Watch to expose the misconduct and human rights abuses committed against young girls, forced into prostitution and used as sex slaves by U.S. military contractors such as DynCorp and other UN-related police and . Their approach was "based on protection and welfare of victims, providing advice, immunity that was not conditional on them giving evidence, visas to remain and possible asylum", she said. Bolkovac resists the implication that it's the men working as peacekeepers and rebuilders in the former Yugoslavia who are clients of the traffickers pimping these girls. never going to make any money off of it. There was a UN oversight office report on Bosnia, which found there had been trafficking. life.". hide caption. Find Kathryn Bolkovac stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Then she hopes to return to Lincoln, where her children Bolkovac, whose story has been adapted into a new movie called The Whistleblower (opening in some theaters on Aug. 5) tells NPR's Scott Simon that her suspicion was first raised during a training session in Ft. Worth, Texas, before she ever left for Bosnia. Those few girls who did ask to go home were "herded out like cattle," only to enter into bureaucratic mazes. That began her investigation of trafficking and the sex "I think I'm Credit: Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films. Kathryn Bolkovac Personal Life, Relationships and Dating. She had two allies: Rees, and a supportive Dutch colleague who became her husband. "I try not to think about it day to day," she said. story. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous Activist. U.N. were involved in the human trafficking. They Her other children Jake, 31 and Erin, 26, live in the . The Whistleblower c dng trn mt ct truyn c tht, xoay quanh nhn vt Kathryn Bolkovac, mt cnh st M c nhim v n Bosnia thc hin qu trnh kin to ha bnh nc ny sau chin tranh. Kathryn Bolkovac Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Kathryn Bolkovac is an American former police investigator from Nebraska. Meanwhile, she accumulated files and documents that could substantiate her claims. Human rights investigator and whistleblower Kathryn Bolkovac tried to investigate similar . While there, she made the harrowing discovery of a child sex trafficking ring that not only was connected to the companys most powerful people but was also being covered up by the United Nations. Mobsters were transporting teenage girls to bars and brothels for sex, and beyond turning a blind eye, the security firm and U.N. personnel seemed to be caught up in the trafficking themselves. police for the peacekeeping force, and people associated with the The year is 1999, and Lincoln police officer Bolkovac, whose ex-husband has custody of their teenaged daughter, has been unsuccessfully trying to get a transfer to another police department to be . She and Jan now live in Breda in Holland and after years of menial jobs and a brief career as a nurse Kathryn is working at an auctioneers. DynCorp's decision to cover-up the despicable sex operation, wrongfully terminating Kathryn . The clientele were all internationals, Bolkovac said. So it was just a vicious circle. Kathryn Bolkovac is a former police investigator from Nebraska who served as an International Police Task Force human rights investigator in Bosnia.She cooperated with Human Rights Watch to expose the misconduct and human rights abuses committed against young girls, forced into prostitution and used as sex slaves by U.S. military contractors such as DynCorp and other UN-related police and . Kathryn filed her lawsuit with DynCorps British subsidiary in the UK and at a hearing in 2002 she won and was awarded 110,000. . She is also, an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and, Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). This article was amended on 16 January 2012 to add a paragraph making clear that the film is a fictionalised dramatisation of Bolkovac's time in Bosnia. Bolkovac's disclosures have been a precursor to some recent ones, like, for example . Others disappeared quietly while some were promoted. to the filmmakers, then put the book on the shelf. While she elicits a tense and eloquent performance from Weisz, the first-time filmmaker fails to maintain a consistent tone. They would call them restaurants She turned them down until a couple of Columbia University 02/29/2016. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality. "Then along came Kathy's story, and a form in which this theme had not been done.". Lincoln and taking her daughter with them. It is a film about that most depraved of crimes: trafficking women for enslaved sex, rape and even murder. I wanted to It was reasoning Balkovac herself faced. "It English actress Rachel Weisz portrays Kathryn Bolkovac in the Vivamus ullamcorper vestibulum neque, a interdum nisl accumsan ac. Much of her initial workload in 1999 involved investigating domestic abuse cases regarding women who had been raped during the war in the town of Zenica. So many of these girls were obviously not free to speak and were afraid for their lives and certainly werent going to tell the very people who were perpetrating crimes against them, who came to save them, that they wanted out, said Bolkovac. would be made, Bolkovac got a book deal and a co-author and trimmed recordings she made of DynCorp officials threatening her to prove "I wanted to make a film about this theme very badly but no one wants to watch a film of an enslaved girl being raped for two hours," she said. She found herself in the middle of an alarming human trafficking web. Others, however, "thought that public screening of the movie at the UN, to be followed by a frank discussion is counterproductive. Even worse, the perpetrators may very well be her colleagues. "I'm dedicated to it," Bolkovac said. Despite this, Weisz does. corporation; its name has been changed in the movie. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). property. congressman when this is over.'". Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Sections president until 2022. When Bolkovac heard she could earn good money in a short period of time by becoming part of the U.N. International Police Force in Bosnia run by a private British agency called DynCorp she decided to sign on. [9] She stated that the case settlement didnt really even cover expenses. It helps to already be famous to become a social media influencer, but she demonstrates that you need to have a raw or personal touch and engage with your followers if you want to do well on Instagram Facebook, Twiter, Youtube, etc. went to her attorney, and one-third to cover credit card bills run of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, an international auction house that Victims confided in her that American contractors were raping or buying underage women, sometimes as young as 12. But it wasn't a complex case." Also learn about how she is rich at the age of 49 years old? Kathryn Bolkovac's personal website. "Being a Midwest girl, growing up in and around Lincoln, had a Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and much more. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. But these abuses still go on, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Rachel Weisz as whistleblower Kathryn Bolkovac. July 14, 2021 Bolkovac was suddenly fired for allegedly falsifying timesheets that same year. In November 2002, an employment tribunal ordered DynCorp to pay Bolkovac 110,221 in damages. [15][16] In 1999 she met Jan, a police officer for the Dutch Government, whom she worked with in Bosnia and had a 12-year relationship with.[17]. Bolkovac said she'll likely stay in the Netherlands until she "I mean it was just so incredible that they wouldn't take any action on this. Remarkably, an internal memo that was later leaked showed that U.N. staff were not only urged to downplay the films message but to try to prevent the screening entirely. She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Amsterdam. [responsivevoice_button buttontext="Screen reader"], Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. To Kathryns horror, some of her colleagues at the IPTF and the UN frequented these nightspots and would sexually abuse the women and rape them at will. Kathryn Bolkovac is a former police investigator from Nebraska who served as an International Police Task Force human rights investigator in Bosnia. Then, learn about how the United Nations spread a cholera epidemic in Haiti. "My kids were growing up, two of them were in college and the She arranged her schedule to come to Lincoln for the Please scroll down to see information about Kathryn Bolkovac Social media profiles. One-third of that He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. But you know, I'd be lying if I said there certainly weren't moments when the children my own girls were going through my mind. [3], In July 2001, Bolkovac filed a lawsuit in Great Britain against DynCorp for unfair dismissal after a protected disclosure (whistleblowing). It's hard for people to wrap their minds around the scope of the problem. [They were] scared to death, stating they didn't want to be found floating in the river.". What really happened: "I had just been through a divorce," she Express. A police officer in Lincoln, Neb., who had recently lost custody of her daughters in a divorce settlement, she was looking for a new job that would give her the means to live near them. "But in order to do that, you don't just take the girl off the street and put her in a brothel and tell her to start working. Aenean malesuada, ante eu aliquet mollis, diam erat suscipit eros, in. Kathryn Bolkovac, 2002. kwolgamott@journalstar.com, or follow him on Twitter at between a prostitute, who willingly sells her body for sex, and the interview from New Mexico. first inkling of what she would encounter in Bosnia. (Samuel Goldwyn Films). got out," Bolkovac said. Balkovac says she soon noticed that the U.N., the State Department and other investigative bodies were more focused on damage control than prevention. - Kathryn Bolkovac. What: "The Whistleblower" with Kathryn "A guy from Texas who had been to Bosnia before bounded into the "It was not being hidden. "Until we crack down on the demand-side all these ethics policies and everything else that they're trying to work around and create aren't doing a bit of good. The tribunal in the U.K. found that DynCorp employee Kathryn Bolkovac "acted reasonably," but that the company did not. In 1999, former Lincoln police investigator Kathryn Bolkovac went to work in Bosnia as an employee of a private contractor for the United Nations. "I'm a little bigger twitter.com/LJSWolgamott. times since. Because of the abrupt tonal shifts, Kondracki does not maintain momentum. Bolkovac left the Lincoln Police Department in 1999[3] and signed a contract with DynCorp Aerospace, a British subsidiary of US based DynCorp International. Whistleblower," which is showing this week at the Mary Riepma Ross "It was a straightforward protected disclosure case," said Bailey. by their husbands, a crime that had not been prosecuted in Bosnia, office in Lincoln. Her story was shown in the film The Whistleblower and told in the nonfiction book, The Whistleblower, with journalist Cari Lynn. Bolkovac, who was born in Ohio, moved to Nebraska when she was Wherever the internationals were concentrated, these Working for a private contracting firm assigned to support the UN peacekeeping mission in that country, she discovered that officers were involved in gross wrongdoing, including human trafficking and forced prostitution. As it became clear that a film inspired by her story and book connected with DynCorp and the U.N., as their captors and abusers. Kathryn Bolkovac works on human rights reports in her office in the Ilidza International Police Task Force station in the early weeks of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. other was 15," she said. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. The tribunal unanimously ruled in her favor on Aug. 2, 2002. victims of trafficking, arguing that "this is serious organized Rees had been working with wartime rape survivors and law enforcement officers to confront the abuse rackets. In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The UN officially has not commented on the latest case, in which the whistleblower, Kathryn Bolkovac, an American citizen living in the Netherlands, charged she was fired in 2000 for sending e . Bolkovac took part in a bust at a decaying nightclub called the T Gic. Select from premium Kathryn Bolkovac of the highest quality. I was 28 The company said Bolkovac's "allegations" had been "aggressively and responsibly addressed". "Countries get rated by the US Trafficking in Persons report on their records in dealing with trafficking," said Rees, "for which you need to show results. Kathryn Bolkovac (born c.1961)[2] is a human rights advocate, consultant, former police investigator with the Lincoln Police Department, and former monitor with United Nations International Police Task Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1998, divorced and with her three children grown, Kathryn Bolkovac, a police officer in the western U.S. state of Nebraska, was looking for a change. The experience of the past 20 has shown that womens presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role. Fearing for her safety, Bolkovac fled the country. We couldn't possibly include the three-week desensitisation period, when they burn the girls in particular places. played Omaha quite some time ago. Distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Human Rights Advocate And Former Police Investigator When Nebraska police officer and divorced mother of three Kathryn Bolkovac saw a recruiting announcement for private military contractor DynCorp International, she applied and was hired. She's urging people to marshal support for a bill in Congress -- intentionally falsify any documents. 15- to 18-year-old girls, who told her of their horrific captivity. Kathy won her case, and Dyncorp has not appealed. family. I came from a background A senior employee found to be having a relationship with a 17-year-old trafficking victim was let off without punishment and some officers frequenting brothels were ordered to resign but without a permanent mark on their records. The company quotes a US army investigating agent as saying: "Neither Dyncorp nor its employees were involved." Many were either simply jailed or deported, at which point law enforcement on the other side forced them back into prostitution. where I can take care of myself. Following a screening of the film, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened a panel discussion on sexual exploitation and abuse in conflict and post-conflict situations. movie (where she leaves Lincoln), that's not what happened in my Her courageous actions and subsequent reprisal were portrayed by Rachel Weisz in the film,The Whistleblower. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. When Kathryn Bolkovac was investigating the trafficking of young girls into prostitution in Bosnia ten years ago, she discovered that some of her colleagues were involved. specializes in sales of heavy equipment and trucks, which has an [8] Madeleine Rees, Head of Office in the region for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, testified in her support. She Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images She is a published author on matters regarding anti-corruption, human trafficking, and ethics as well as an international public speaker. The film deals with enslavement and rape in Bosnia, not during wartime 20 years ago but during the peace. Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. The Whistleblower tells the story of what took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the conflict in 1995, when thousands of international peacekeepers flooded into the fragile state in an attempt to help repair the damage done. Bolkovac's book, "The Whistleblower: Sex Trafficking, Military The former US policewoman Kathryn Bolkovac was hired in 1999 by DynCorp Aerospace for a UN post aimed at cracking down on sexual abuse and forced prostitution in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bolkovac found that brothels disguised as bars, restaurants, hotels, and clubs were just scattered throughout the hills of Bosnia.. The film is a fictionalised dramatisation of Bolkovac's time in Bosnia, in which the protagonist is employed by a company called "DemocraCorp", and the names of her real-life superiors are changed. She is alsoan active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational andCapacity Development Organisation (NECDO). October 6-9,-2014 McGill University Sponsored by AIDS-free World, Montreal, Canada. governance in post-conflict and transitional countries. Kathryn Bolkovac 1999 This turned the conversation towards the current system of peacekeeping accountabilities and what steps have been taken towards bringing perpetrators to justice. A police officer and divorced mother of three, Kathryn Bolkovac was looking for a fresh start . In April 2003, Dyncorp dropped its appeal against the verdict, and three days later announced an award by the US state department for a contract to police Iraq. "I went to work with large numbers of women who had been the victims of rape during the war," said Rees. DynCorp appealed the verdict, but then dropped it in April 2003, mere days before it announced an enormously lucrative contract with the U.S. State Department to police Iraqs civilian population during the then-nascent days of the War on Terror.. The same things happened over the years. accountability for international contractors and their employees. Yet Balkovac had trouble convincing them to leave. A drama based on the experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and outed the U.N. for covering up a sex trafficking scandal. Kathryn moved to Holland to be with her partner, Dutch police officer Jan van der Velde, whom she met in Bosnia. With Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, and David Strathairn. Suspendisse euismod congue ultricies. Get the recommendations on what's streaming now, games you'll love, TV news and more with our weekly Home Entertainment newsletter! 'It was actually higher than that,' she corrects me, settling on an L-shaped chocolate suede sofa. remove yourself from it. She also contributes to WILPFs emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration. amounted to little more than corporate propaganda, Bolkovac got the So in 1999, she accepts a six-month $100,000 contract to work as a United Nations peacekeeper in Bosnia. But once she got to Bosnia, the human trafficking was incredibly apparent. Good money, world travel, and the chance to help rebuild a war-torn country sounded like the perfect job. Lured into Bosnia with the promise of high-paying jobs in is seen with her ex-husband and his new wife, who are leaving camera. She worked as a UN International Police Force monitor. around doing nothing and no one seemed upset. Kathryn Bolkovac's battle to expose her colleagues who abused women has been made into a film. Besides Bolkovac, we meet a U.N. human rights official (Vanessa Redgrave), a by-the-book agency head who sees the problem but refuses to rock the boat (Monica Belluci) and a conveniently helpful . She took a job as a contracted (by the U.N.) peace keeper in Sarajevo, Bosnia to help stabilize the country after the end of civil war . reminded her of her children, she said, and she agreed they could [18][19] The filmmaker and senior UN officials addressed issues raised in the film, including human trafficking and forced prostitution as well as the organisation's effort to combat sexual exploitation of women and children. Bolkovac was reassigned, demoted and then fired for what DynCorp said were improper expense claims she submitted. being a cop. The aspiring filmmakers asked why she hadn't written a book, As for U.N. Secretary-General Klein, he went on to spearhead a similar peacekeeping mission in Liberia where remarkably similar scandals unfolded. Her film samples multiple genres. The Whistleblower spares you little. I slept for a week, cried a The job paid $85,000 tax free, money that would cover much of While the U.N. established a Conduct of Discipline Unit in 2007 to address these issues, Bolkovac was unconvinced of its efficacy. She will see the movie again Thursday at Ross. On one occasion she was told to back off and warned: Car accidents happen round here all the time.. But she wanted to do "These girls are sometimes willingly brought from countries thinking they're going to go into these great jobs in the West, and are forced into prostitution," Balkovac says. During the filming, the actress would ask We need more development of police officers and how to do good investigations and we need to make sure that we change laws.". the promise of getting to go home if they earned enough money. She decided to take DynCorp to a tribunal for unfair dismissal and was determined to expose the sex trafficking. Donec euismod eget diam vitae vehicula. The clientele were all internationals. planned. Elected in 2018 as South Asia RegionalRepresentative to WILPFs International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamilas workexperience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democraticgovernance in post-conflict and transitional countries. volleyball scholarship, then returned to Nebraska to start her A recent divorce spurred her to want to change her 10-year routine in policing. Bolkovac thus decided to tell her harrowing story herselfand wrote a book called The Whistleblower, which was adapted into a film starring Rachel Weisz and screened at the U.N. in New York City in 2010. films and received several offers to make a feature film about her "It was pretty simple," she said. academy and starting again as a street officer -- something didn't sold to internationals who took them to their homes to live as psychological intimidation, that I couldn't trust my kind.". In The Whistleblower, Balkovac is given a range of excuses for the blind-eye stance. in 1999 to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in One of Sellers's most notable roles came in 2011 when she was cast as the lead in the children's television show Mia and Me. They preferred downplaying the film. . But I eventually decided this is my Once in Bosnia, Bolkovac found it didn't matter much what she But not as she It Rosabell spent her early childhood in New York City, but the family moved to Rome, Italy, when she was eight . When she uncovered evidence it would be lost or ignored, investigations were pulled or closed, claims brushed off as a big misunderstanding and women returned to their home countries before they could testify. Kathryn Bolkovac is a human rights advocate, consultant, former police investigator with the Lincoln Police Department, and former monitor with United Nations International Police Task Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia). But their success triggered international intervention that sought to refocus on prosecution and repatriation, "ignoring the autonomy of the women themselves". She continued to investigate. That experience, she said, was critical to how she dealt with I had never felt paranoia and fear like I did during those last few months, she says. leave from the Lincoln Police Department but was turned down. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems. The company was hiring US officers to become part of the International Police Task Force (IPTF) to work alongside UN personnel in Bosnia. Alarm bells started ringing at the training camp when an instructor told the new recruits: I know where you can get really nice 12 to 15-year-olds.. We couldn't really capture the hopelessness of life these women are subjected to.". Kathryn Bolkovac: "The Whistleblower". deciding it wasn't for her. Before the film was released, Dyncorp confirmed that "a handful of individuals were terminated" after inquiries by the army criminal investigative command. Horrifically however, peacekeepers and other international actors actually became perpetrators of human trafficking, sexual violence and abuse themselves, as uncovered by Kathryn Bolkovac and our very own Madeleine Rees. and, if books arrive in time, a book signing. Their job was to assist and train Bosnian police officers, help rebuild the countrys infrastructure, monitor human rights issues and crack down on human trafficking and sex crimes. Cast: Rachel Weisz Monica Bellucci Vanessa Redgrave Benedict Cumberbatch David Strathairn Liam Cunningham David Hewlett William Hope what you're doing and what you're saying.' The Facts:Ex Nebraska policewoman, Kathryn Bolkovac, who served as a UN peacekeeper and worked under DynCorp, a military contractor, where she learned about elite level sex trafficking involving the UN, the State Department & Military exposes the truth. "A lot of these women were either jailed for short periods of time as illegal immigrants or prostitutes and then, you know, forced out of the country and ultimately probably picked up again. She tried nursing and spent three years in school before The latest example to come out of the UN would be from the ex-chief advisor . "One of the men who had done previous missions in Bosnia came bounding into the pool with a beer stating where he could find really nice 12- to 15-year-olds once we got to Bosnia," Bolkovac says. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. 1612 K St. NW, Suite #1100 "Whenever you work an event that involves children whether it's a child death or a sexual assault or incest or anything else, which is what my specialties were before I went in to Bosnia you learn how to deal with those and compartmentalize a bit. notes. Two days before I left, I found out it was going The Whistleblower presents the shocking story of the human rights abuses perpetrated by American mercenary soldiers abroad, as told by the woman who brought them down--now a major motion picture. Some of the girls identified internationals, including men Not long after, she uncovered evidence Its still going on all over the world.. Worse yet, Bolkovac unearthed evidence that members of the IPTF, Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. She has returned to Bosnia on a number of occasions and many women have contacted her to thank her for her actions. In 1999 she took an opportunity for a tax-free salary of $85,000 for a year overseas as an International Police Task (IPTF) Monitor with the United Nations. Kathryn Bolkovac je biva amerika policajka hrvatskog porijekla, poznata po razotkrivanju korupcije unutar policijske monitorske slube UN u BiH nakon rata, odnosno upetljanosti njenih pripadnika u trgovinu ljudima i lanac prostitucije.. Bolkovac, koja je prije toga bila radila kao policajka u Nebraski je u BiH dola kao zaposlenik amerike privatne vojne kompanije Demokra, na temelju 15 . She admits to missing a day of work when she and a number of This is not going to be simple or a quick fix.". It was a repatriation factory, run by people who had an anti-immigration approach, and didn't want women to try to get into western Europe no focus on the system or rights of the women. I'm Women and young girls were smuggled from neighbouring countries on false premises and forced into prostitution, working out of local bars and nightclubs. ", Struggling To Gain Trust, And To Set Emotions Aside, In one jarring scene from The Whistleblower, Balkovac's character, played by Rachel Weisz, fights to gain a victim's trust. Not long after, she uncovered evidence of human sex trafficking by government contractors and sought to bring those actions to light. There were no safe homes to place victims in. Kathryn sent emails to more than 50 people, including the UN Secretary Generals special representative in Bosnia, detailing the plight of trafficked women and noting that UN police, Nato troops and international humanitarian employees were regular customers. Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional, Representative to WILPFs International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamilas work, experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic. The Whistleblower: Directed by Larysa Kondracki. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion. Kathryn Bolkovac was fired from DynCorp when she brought concerns over the company engaging in human trafficking in Bosnia. "It would give us a really good way to be more accountable for our contractors and civilians working in the missions," Balkovac says. Bolkovac jumps at the opportunity of a tax-free $100,000 salary, the prospect of adventure, and a rare chance to help a war-wracked, ethnically divided country return to the rule of law. her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Bolkovac said. Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) is a very frustrated cop in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mini Bio (1) Kathryn Bolkovac is known for The Whistleblower (2010), Kathy Bolkovac: The Real Whistleblower (2012) and Charlie Rose (1991). daughter of her middle child Sarah, 29. Ex Nebraska policewoman, Kathryn Bolkovac, who served as a UN peacekeeper and worked under DynCorp, a military contractor, where she learned about elite level sex trafficking involving the UN, the State Department & Military has also revealed some disturbing realities. The experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a cop from Nebraska, who worked as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and exposed a U.N. sex scandal that was covered up. carried me through Bosnia.". to be honest, revenge. understanding of proper police work that laid the groundwork for "There were no safe homes to put them in. I'm a thorn in the side of DynCorp. Scientists Just Discovered The First Known Case Of The Plague In A 5,000-Year-Old Skeleton, 32 Photos That Capture The Shocking Violence Of The 1968 Democratic National Convention, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Toronto Film Festival last year and has watched it a handful of We need, you know, more training. The Whistleblower, Larysa Kondracki's uneven debut feature exposing the explosive subject of sex trafficking, derives its strength from Rachel Weisz's intelligent performance as the real-life Bolkovac. "The book is totally factual," Bolkovac said in a phone Bolkovac became a campaigner for women's rights in conflict zones. officials, both with the U.N. and DynCorp, titled "DO NOT READ THIS She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPFs International Board in 2018. For that reason, Madeleine Rees, now as the Secretary-General of WILPF, through WILPFs Paths to Justice Project, continues to fight for real accountability and against impunity. trade. and a sense of ethics that police officers are supposed to be good. Bolkovac says her termination came after she "continued to make waves" about the involvement of other members of the U.N. forces in human trafficking, prostitution, and exploitation of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2012, she took part in the TV series Una grande famiglia and arrived on Rai 2 in the series Mia and Me that features alternating sequences in live action and scenes created in computer graphics. some bulk,'" Bolkovac told the filmmakers. Kathryn Bolkovac je amerika policajka i zviaica hrvatskog podrijetla. "I went to this bar and found seven young women locked in a room upstairs. You need to be careful about It's the How A Nebraska Woman Named Kathryn Bolkovac Uncovered A Vast Pedophile Ring Run By A U.S. Military Contractor. "I stayed in the mission as long as I could, got my records and My strength of character from my upbringing, from the way my "She really wanted to get the heart and soul and passion," Contractors and One Woman's Fight for Justice," recounts her story, She loves being a cop, but having spent 10 years raising her daughter, she had to start her career late and in this small town, promotions are few and far between. Her other children Jake, 31 and Erin, 26, live in the United States and she sees them regularly. Now, almost 10 years on, her book The Whistleblower about her battle to expose the scandal has been published and made into a film starring Rachel Weisz. We do not see the torture inflicted on one girl for trying to flee her captors, but we see the tears of her fellow slaves forced to watch. Kathryn is a consultant on whistleblower codes of conduct and protection from persecution. [12], She has continued to work against human trafficking and violence against women, and is a public speaker addressing trafficking, ethics and anti-corruption issues. dark-haired woman who doesn't at all resemble the blonde former police department is what gave her the investigative skills and She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Amsterdam. "War whores," her colleagues call them. Now, more than 15 years later, we take stock of how being a whistleblower has impacted the lives of these women and if anything has changed in the system of peacekeeping accountabilities. "We show what is just about permissible to show. Dr. Carol Lilly associate professor of history, 308.865.8757 Kathryn Bolkovac, co-author of a book turned successful Hollywood movie "The Whistleblower: Sex Trafficking, Military Contractors and One Woman's Fight for Justice," will be at the University of Nebraska at Kearney for a book signing and presentation on Monday, Jan. 28. police officers. who won an Oscar for "The Constant Gardener," about what she had In 1999, former Lincoln police investigator Kathryn Bolkovac went to work in Bosnia as an employee of a private contractor for the United Nations . ", In that email, she laid out her findings, drawing a distinction Bolkovac knew of a local bar of . Select from premium Kathryn Bolkovac of the highest quality. They had these brothels all over. e do not see the torture inflicted on one girl for trying to flee her captors, but we see the tears of her fellow slaves forced to watch. ", Despite having had training to put emotions aside, that task was sometimes impossible, Balkovac says, especially since she had daughters at home. She went on to become general secretary of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the international women's rights organisation for social justice and against militarisation, founded during the first world war. 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