The KFOR Mission said in a release Friday that a soldier of the international mission had been accused of sexual assault and returned from Kosovo to his homeland, stressing that KFOR would not tolerate any violation of the law.

“A KFOR soldier today has been charged with sexual offences by the authorities of his national state,” KFOR said in a press release without citing the peacekeeper's nationality, but according to local media, the defendant is a 37-year-old from Austria.

He is under suspicion to have committed rape, sexual coercion and misuse of his position as a superior in this context, it said, adding that the soldier is on the way to his home country.

The NATO-led mission also said it was obvious the man had been forcing women from Kosovo to have sex with him against their will.

The scandal occurred at a time when NATO decided to hand over the function of deputy commander of KFOR to Austria, which would be the first time a country which is not a member of NATO had its representative at that position.