“Now I speak”, “Break the silence”, “Don’t hesitate”, “You are not alone”. All the campaigns of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality and the Police urge victims of domestic violence to contact the authorities when they are in danger.
The data shows that thousands of women broke their silence in 2023. Specifically from January 1 until October 30, 2023 had been reported to the authorities 9.860 incidents throughout Greece, of which 8,409 involved women.
But what happens when victims speak up but don’t find protection when they need it?
The 28-year-old who was murdered outside the Police Station of Aghii Anargyro, on Monday night had arrived there with her friend in order to ask for protection. According to what has become known, the she herself asked the police to return to her house accompanied by a patrol car because she was afraid to return alone. However, the officer on duty told the woman that they should call 911. The girl was murdered while she was talking on her cell phone with “100” a breath away from the entrance of the AT.
It was preceded by the murder of the 43-year-old woman in Salamina who tragically died in her parental home, while previously she had filed a complaint with the Police Department of Salamina for domestic violence.
Gray zones
“The tragic murders of the 28-year-old and the 43-year-old demonstrate the gray areas and the gaps that exist in the organization of police departments and domestic violence units that are responsible and competent to protect and direct a victim of domestic violence and their child”, says in “K” the Zefi Dimadamasecretary general for Equality and Human Rights.
It is unthinkable for a victim to leave A.T. while he has declared to the authorities that he is in danger.
As she notes, in the case of the 28-year-old two questions arise which should be answered. The first is whether the police received all the necessary information to assess the degree of danger of the case and the second is whether the victim should have remained at the A.T. Agioi Anargyro until a police car is available to escort her home.
“It is unthinkable for a victim to leave A.T. while he has declared to the authorities that he is in danger”, she notes general secretary: “There must be one overall record of malfunctions and gaps that exist both in the police services and in all the involved ministries such as the Ministry of Citizen Protection, Social Cohesion and Family, Justice, in order to have a common strategy for the protection of victims of gender-based violence”, concludes Ms. Dimadama.
“The law on domestic violence is not respected”
However, apart from the lack of a comprehensive protection framework for those women who report their abuser (transfer to shelters, medical care, legal assistance, bureaucratic guidance), experienced lawyers who have dealt with incidents of domestic violence point out that many times the law is not even respected .
“We saw for the first time today that a woman was murdered, who went to report the criminal act of domestic violence” the lawyer tells “K” Angeliki Psaraki. “When victims are murdered where they should be protected, how do we then wonder why they are murdered in their own homes? Constant pleas for victims not to be afraid to speak up fall on deaf ears.”
“The first thing the police should do is draw up a charge sheet. Today that didn’t happen. As there was no assessment and management of the risk”
The jurist who specializes in Criminal Law and Human Rights cases sets the basis of the discussion for the ex officio offenses that fall under N 3500/2006, which, however, is not observed in practice. “When a woman comes to the police station and says ‘I am a victim of domestic violence, I have received a physical threat, I feel threatened by my partner or ex-partner’, the first thing the police should do is file a report . Today that didn’t happen. As there was no risk assessment and management.”
THE Nadia Constantou, a lawyer with experience in domestic violence cases, says speaking to “K” that there have been cases where her clients have gone to the authorities to report domestic violence or threats and have been discouraged from filing a lawsuit. In fact, Mrs. Constantou emphasizes that many times incidents are not even recorded, because if they are recorded as domestic violence, the accused should be arrested in the context of self-incrimination. “And if we arrest him, he will counter sue you and we will arrest you too.”
But even if a lawsuit is filed, the alleged perpetrator is rarely arrested in the context of the autoforos, according to her. “In nine out of 10 cases the autophore does not move» he says underlining that along the way the suspensive nature of the procedures does not ensure protection for the victims. “The alleged perpetrator will be called months later to apologize for the alleged crime. If prosecuted, he will be called to appear in court years later. And in between no measures will have been taken to protect the victim. There is really no risk assessment and no action to prevent it” ends up.
Mich. Chrysochoidis: “To fully investigate the incident”
The Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, speaking today to Ertnews, he emphasized that what is important is to fully investigate what exactly happened at the Agioi Anargyroi Police Station where the 28-year-old woman attended, before she was found murdered a few meters away.
“When an incident like this goes to the police there are very specific protocols that an officer follows to manage the incident. Therefore, it should be examined whether all the things for which the police are trained were implemented”, he noted.
The minister points out that over 17,000 police officers have been trained to deal with such incidents. “What is important is to fully investigate the incident, under what circumstances it took place, how the girl died, what the police should have done and possibly what the police did not do,” he said.
Istanbul Convention
It is pointed out that GREVIO (Council of Europe Expert Group on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence), an independent authority that monitors the implementation of the “Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence” had called on the Greek authorities to ensure that systematic, gender-sensitive risk assessments and security management become standard procedures in all cases of violence against women covered by the Istanbul Convention. Furthermore, it strongly encouraged the Greek authorities to introduce a system of retrospective review of cases of killings of women because of their gender and to assess whether gaps in the institutional and/or judicial response contributed to the fatal outcome, with the aim of preventing them in the future and making them accountable; both perpetrators and institutions that come into contact with victims and perpetrators.