This tragic event indicates the failure of institutions to provide timely and adequate protection to victims of gender-based and domestic violence. We appeal to the competent institutions to urgently review their actions in this case, to take responsibility and finally fulfill their obligation – to protect, to act in a timely manner and to prevent new cases of femicide.
Cases of femicide are not isolated incidents – they are a consequence of institutional neglect and continuous ignoring of signals for help. All women, especially those from marginalized communities, must not be left alone in the fight for their safety. Therefore, we express full solidarity with the Initiative of Women from Shuto Orizari.
Attached is the reaction in full.
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How long will the system fail to protect women victims of domestic and gender-based violence?
This weekend, we witnessed another case of femicide, in which a woman from Shuto Orizari was the victim. First of all, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the victim’s loved ones. This case of domestic violence is, unfortunately, well known to the institutions, to our fellow citizens from Shuto Orizari and to our team from the Center for Assistance and Support for Women Victims of Gender-Based and Domestic Violence “ISI ARKA”.
Namely, R.A. came to our counseling center, but although she was offered an escort by our team to the “Prolet” police station, we were refused – precisely because the victim had completely lost trust in the institutions. Well, how can victims trust them if every time they try to report a case of violence, they encounter the words “are you here again, you will return to your husband anyway”?!
The Association Initiative for Women’s Rights from Shuto Orizari can act and offer assistance and support only with the consent of the victim. Regarding this case of violence, we recently learned that despite numerous attempts to report it to the appropriate institutions by the victim, the competent persons at the police station did not take any steps at all – to the point that there is not even a report prepared by the police officers about the report. How many more such cases of violence with a tragic outcome do we need to witness, for the institutions to realize that their inaction is at the cost of human life?!
The constant addressing of the shortcomings of the victim protection system by our association has only one and only goal – for the institutions to recognize their role in this chain, to take responsibility and to begin timely action, which would prevent violence and put an end to such cases! Domestic violence is not a characteristic of only a certain ethnic community, we are all equally susceptible to it. On the contrary, our research on “Adequate protection, assistance and support for victims of gender-based and domestic violence in the municipality of Shuto Orizari” shows that in the period from 2020 to 2024, the largest number of victims (about 70% over the years) were of Macedonian ethnicity, while the number of victims of domestic violence of Roma ethnicity in 2023 was 6.79%. Therefore, it is time to put an end to stereotypes and apathy among employees in institutions – it is not a solution to advise victims that it is in vain to start the procedure for reporting the perpetrators, because “they will return to the home of the abusers anyway”!
The seriousness and number of cases of violence from September 2023 to now are also evidenced by the data in our Center “ISI ARKA” – during this period, a total of 123 women approached us and asked for help precisely for the prevention and protection from domestic violence. This figure shows that on the one hand, the need for timely action by institutions and inter-institutional cooperation is necessary, and on the other hand, raising public awareness on these topics from a young age plays a key role in recognizing the forms of violence and the mechanisms for protection against it.
We hope and want to believe that such a case will not be repeated, that this is the last victim of femicide and that finally, this will sound the alarm for the state to take the following steps for adequate protection and support for victims of domestic and gender-based violence:
1. Increasing the teams for handling and preventing violence at the Ministry of Interior;
2. Increasing the teams for handling violence at the Centers for Social Affairs;
3. Building the capacities of officials at the Ministry of Interior and Social Welfare through training on the forms of violence and appropriate treatment of victims;
4. Sensitization of officials who have a legal obligation to act in cases of domestic and gender-based violence;
5. Workshops to raise public awareness on prevention and protection from domestic and gender-based violence, with the aim of encouraging victims and restoring trust in institutions;
6. Regular workshops in education on recognizing forms of violence and mechanisms for protection of them.
We strongly believe that the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office will take all necessary steps in the investigation and the perpetrator will be given the maximum sentence for the crime committed against R.A., so that justice is served.
We appeal to all women who need any help and support in cases of gender-based and domestic violence, to contact us. In our Center for Help and Support for Women Victims of Gender-Based and Domestic Violence “ISI ARKA” we offer free psycho-social and legal services, every working day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Center “ISI ARKA” is located at the address “Hadzi Jovan Shishko” no. 15, and you can also contact us at the phone number: 070 385 831.
