Brussels, 20 nov 2021 – Few days to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. European countries are preparing the annual figures to be issued next Thursday, increasingly upsetting year after year, with the Covid crisis and lockdowns worsening domestic violence.
#noustoutes anticipated the date taking to the streets in defence of women bringing tens of thousands across central Paris, marching with placards bearing upsetting numbers.
In other EU countries figures aren’t less concerning. Italy, so far, counts this year 131 femicides, the last murder yesterday, and new updated figures will be issued on 25th november by ISTAT. Though the UN international day against femicide is raising awareness, a change of culture is urgently needed.
Still police ineffectiveness in forwarding and escalating reports and the justice system are not fully on the side of women and let down, if not exposing to danger, those who report gender violence within the family, partners or at work.
Reported number of femicide victims in selected European countries in 2018
Meanwhile Spain adjusts its stats: from January 2022 will count all murders of women, meaning it will make a parallel count of those killed by sexual or vicarious violence, widening scope of statistics, explains Irene Montero Spanish government delegate for gender violence
Women killed by sexual violence will be included in parallel to those who are attacked to death within the family or those murdered by vicarious violence, for instance when children are attacked, to indirectly damage their mother. This way sex crimes and vicarious murders will be considered femicide, an important step that goes back to the root causes of the violence, back to the strategies behind it, making possible to police and judiciary systems to intervene and issue verdicts able to deter and reduce crimes against women and girls.
Talkeurope.org 