Murders of women in Serbia: A tumor cannot be treated with aspirin

At least 408 women and 15 girls in the past thirteen years was killed in family-partner violence in Serbia. In more than half of the cases, the perpetrator was their partner, and in almost 30 percent of the cases it was a male family member, according to data from the Autonomous Women's Center (AŽC).

In the past year alone, there were 17 victims of femicide - murders motivated by hatred of women. This is a smaller number compared to 2022 and 2023, when there were 28 and 27 cases, respectively.

Interlocutor Dojce Velea they point out that, despite this, the institutions had to react better to protect women, because "even one murdered woman is too many".

On the eighth anniversary of the commemoration of the Day of Remembrance of Women Victims of Violence (May 18) – established in memory of the horrific statistics from May 2015, when as many as seven women were killed within 72 hours – DW investigates what are the main causes of this high number of femicides and how it must be done differently.

A lot, but not enough

"There are a lot of things that have been done, but when you look at the number of women killed, you are ashamed to say that significant progress has been made," Brankica Janković, commissioner for the protection of equality, assessed for DW.

She explains that progress has been made continuously through the legislative framework, but that the mere existence of the Law is not enough.

"Consistent, indiscriminate application and constant correction are needed, because there is always some crack in the system that must be monitored and filled. We cannot save every life, but we must do everything in the state to save everyone who can be saved," says Janković.

The reduced number of femicides and the higher number of reported cases of violence (around 29.000) is interpreted by Vanja Macanović from AŽC as the result of partly good implementation of the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence. However, he notes that despite this, serious omissions were made.

In accordance with the law, explains the member of the AJC, there are groups for coordination and cooperation, the mandatory members of which are representatives of basic prosecutor's offices, centers for social work and police administrations. Their task is to review reports of domestic violence, assess the risk and create a protection plan to support victims.

"Where they work well, understand each other and have good cooperation, we don't have cases of femicide. But where the groups don't function properly, femicide is repeated, especially where cases were previously reported," says Macanović.

"Like aspirin for a tumor"

In half of the 17 cases of last year's femicides, the murdered women had previously reported the perpetrator for violence. Despite this, the institutions failed to protect them.

Macanović also draws attention to the last case, the eighth since the beginning of the year - a woman from Kragujevac repeatedly reported the abuser, who eventually stabbed her. Seven days before that, he was given the mildest emergency measure - a restraining order, which, as the DW interlocutor points out, "is for a beginner in violence, not for someone who has a criminal record for violent behavior and threatens to kill."

"When there is a high risk, other measures must be taken, and not rely on the mildest. It is like giving aspirin to someone who has a tumor," warns the AŽC lawyer.

In November last year, the Ministry without portfolio in charge of preventing violence against women pointed out that 32.000 emergency measures had been issued. They include the temporary removal of the perpetrator from the apartment, as well as a temporary ban on contacting and approaching the victim of violence.

Although they agree that reporting to the police is necessary, women's organizations appeal that such an important step should still be planned.

"As much as the state invites women to report violence, they should do so so that they are safe after reporting, and they will do so if they turn to women's organizations. We then assess the risk with them and make a safety plan, so that after reporting they will not be seriously injured or killed. For a woman, the most dangerous moment is when she tells the abuser that she is going to leave him, report it or initiate proceedings," explains Vanja Macanović.

This is also important so that women know what they can expect from the competent institutions, because "the worst thing in Serbia is that nothing depends on the law, but on the professionals who apply it."

What is social responsibility?

In addition to the work of institutions, DW's interlocutors indicate that it is necessary to work on prevention and changing the way violence is talked about in society - through education, culture and the media.

"Violence in our country is still seen as a private matter, there is a lack of a broader perspective that would see it as a serious social problem. The fact that we normalize and transmit it from an early age as a transgenerational trauma contributes to the survival of violence, and the media and pop culture additionally contribute to this," explains sociologist Hristina Cvetinčanin Knežević.

He points out that we need to believe the victims, which excludes any condemnation, and instead of "what was she waiting for" and "why didn't she report him", we should ask how we can help her now.

"That's why the dimension between society and the state is important - economic empowerment, because the fact is that a woman cannot leave an abuser when she has nowhere and no way to go."

The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality reminds that the root of violence against women is discrimination.

"The key are a good legislative framework, a culture that values ​​tolerance, respect and equality, rather than the dominance of patriarchy, changes in the education, media and information systems, as well as economic support," says Brankica Janković.

Knežević from Cvetinča points out that it is important that there is a change in consciousness and that society finally understands that only the perpetrator is responsible for violence.

"The most important thing is to support the woman, so that she understands that this is not the life she deserves," concludes the sociologist.

*If you are going through violence and need help or know someone who does, call an SOS hotline, whose You can find the list here.