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Femicides, why were Erona and Gjyljeta killed?! DW analysis: Is this a Balkan phenomenon?

2024-05-11 12:34:08Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Femicides, why were Erona and Gjyljeta killed?! DW analysis: Is this a Balkan
Erona and Gjyljeta

Young mother Erona C. from Ferizaj was only 21 years old when she was killed by her ex-husband.

He had met her to get their child back. After surrendering, he suddenly pulled out his gun, shot his ex-wife and wounded her brother who was accompanying him.

Gjyljeta U. from Peja, mother of three children, was only 42 years old. According to official reports, her killer presented himself to the police with the words: " I shot my wife ".

Both women, Erona C. and Gjyljeta U., were killed in Kosovo in April 2024 – within five days. Their murders sparked terror across the country. President Vjosa Osmani declared a day of national mourning in memory of women and girls victims of gender-based violence in Kosovo.

But even if many Kosovars were horrified, very few were certainly surprised. Activists and organizations for human rights have long denounced the structural grievances that cause women in Kosovo to constantly become victims of acts of violence.

Many people wonder: What still needs to happen before something finally changes?

Low penalties for perpetrators

On paper, there have always been positive developments in recent years. Domestic violence has been a criminal offense in Kosovo since 2019. Courts can fine perpetrators from 100 to 25,000 euros and sentence them to up to three years in prison. But to date, many judgments have been weak. The case of Gjyljeta U. is a prime example of this. The later killer of Gjyljeta U. was known to the police for domestic violence and was sentenced to three months in prison and a 100 euro fine in 2022. By paying 300 euro, he avoided three months in prison.

The Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu wrote on Facebook after the crime: " Perpetrators often become murderers because they are not adequately punished by the responsible institutions ".

She called an emergency meeting with the interior minister, the police chief, the attorney general and other officials.

But campaigners criticize that such short-term decisions do nothing to change the widespread climate of impunity for domestic violence that continues under the current government.

"We need a stronger justice system, faster procedures and more frequent maximum sentences for perpetrators," says sociologist Bukurie Rrustemi.

The police do not take domestic violence seriously

According to official police statistics, in 2023 in Kosovo, a country with 1.8 million inhabitants, four women were killed and 2120 women were raped. It is likely that the actual number of cases is even higher. Many women do not dare to denounce the perpetrators - also because they fear that they will not be taken seriously by the police and the judiciary. In an Amnesty International survey published in August 2023, victims of domestic violence say they were told by the police that their partners' violent behavior was completely normal. Threats and psychological violence were mostly hidden and the police intervened only when there were visible signs of physical violence.

In most cases, victims are partially blamed for the situation - with serious consequences, says psychologist Kaltrina Ajeti:

"Victims often think that they themselves have contributed to the creation of such a situation - that is, they have led the abuser to continuous violence and thus to the destruction of the family situation."

This way of thinking is still widespread not only among the police, but also in Kosovar society itself.

Kosovar society and its structure, which is deeply rooted in patriarchy, is probably one of the main reasons for femicide.

"The role of the woman in Kosovo is that of the housewife and the caretaker of the children, the husband and the elderly in the family", says sociologist Bukurije Rrustemi.

Male dominance in large parts of society is still difficult for many women to overcome. "They lack education, employment and economic independence", says Rrustemi./ DW


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