Stabbed because she wanted a divorce. Pushed down a cliff because she was laughing at him. Strangled following a marital dispute. Shot at close range in a tavern by her ex. Killed in a bakery by her husband …
The wave of feminicides does not spare Greece.
In the past year, the authorities have recorded 17 such murders, or more than one per month. Just last week, two women were killed by their husbands, sending shock waves through the country and a protest in Athens on Friday.
The phenomenon is not new. But like everywhere in the world, it has been on the rise in Greece since the lockdown due to COVID-19. Faced with this spectacular series of “conjugal” crimes, Greece must take the matter seriously.
PHOTO LOUISA GOULIAMAKI, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Hadrian’s Gate in Athens lit up orange in campaign against gender-based violence on Human Rights Day on December 10
“Before, these murders were considered news items,” says Maria Stratigaki, director of the Gender, Society and Politics program at Panteion University. “The difference today is that feminicides are on the front page of the mainstream media. In a sense, the containment has helped make them more visible. So much so that in Greece, nobody laughs with it anymore. ”
Legal recognition of the term feminicide
The problem is now taking a political turn. The opposition Syriza party (left) as well as many feminist groups urge the Mitsotákis government (center right) to adopt strong measures to stop this spiral of violence.
Among these, we demand that the term “feminicide” be included in the Criminal Code as a hateful act in its own right. Some jurists and activists believe that the law as it is currently drafted promotes a culture of impunity, because it opens the door to reduced sentences for men who plead “crime of passion” or show remorse.
According to Maria Stratigaki, the legal recognition of the term feminicide would make it possible to better admit the problem and, thus, to tackle it head-on.
We must go beyond simple assassination in order to give it a more political character. Show that feminicide is linked to sexism as certain crimes are linked to racism. This will give it a social dimension by judging it according to other criteria.
Maria Stratigaki, Director of the Gender, Society, Policy Program at Panteion University
The government responded last November with an all-out campaign to encourage victims to report their attackers. A hotline has been set up, and school programs are being announced to educate young people about sexism issues.
“Wishful thinking”?
In interview this week with the daily The Guardian, the Minister of Gender Equality of Greece, Maria Syrengela, has promised a “rewrite” of the law on domestic violence, in accordance with the Istanbul Convention, signed 10 years ago, to deal with the problem of this violence.
“We will of course propose that the term feminicide be included,” she said.
But according to Maria Stratigaki, these are just “wishful thinking”. The professor, who was also General Secretary for Gender Equality in Greece from 2009 to 2012, recalls that the Ministry of Justice has so far closed the door to any legislative changes and would be surprised if it changes its position.
“I believe that Mme Syrengela says this to please feminists. I don’t think it will happen so easily. Revisiting the 2006 domestic violence law is far too long and complicated. She will not have the power to convince the Minister of Justice, ”she said.
At the center of public debates
Mme Stratigaki is pleased, however, that the subject is today at the center of public debates and that public opinion is being alerted. The #metoo movement made a splash in Greece in early 2021, with allegations of sexual assault by Olympic gold medalist Sofía Bekatórou. Her testimony remains a turning point in the liberation of speech among Greek women.
Sign of awareness, Mme Stratigaki also agrees that the police are starting to take the problem seriously. She mentions a recent intervention by the police, which made it possible to avoid the 18e feminicide of the year. “When the officers entered the apartment, he had the knife on his wife’s throat,” she said.
In a society known to be conservative and patriarchal, however, changes will not happen overnight, she adds.
Mme Stratigaki stresses that Greece is still at the bottom of the European gender equality index and recalls that the country only opened its first shelters for battered women in 2011, when she was general secretary of Gender Equality – “30 years later than other countries”.
But at least now “the eyes are open,” she concludes.