Recent tragedies in Serbia, where life lost a woman and a child, and the killer was previously condemned for domestic violence, once again they opened a lack of systemic reaction and control of weapons in households.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Laws on Weapons Owners continue to recognize sufficiently clear risks that the weapon carries in the context of domestic violence. Emissions, the new day on N1 was Bojana Jovanović from the center of Zenica, which pointed out that the presence of firearms in households is a serious risk factor that increases the probability of violence against women.
“In half of Femicida cases in BiH, firearms were used. This showed an overview of the available statistics, and from international reports to submit to relevant institutions,” Jovanovic said.
Perpetrators of fematicides mostly known institutions
She especially pointed out that Femicid does not come from suddenly and does not represent an isolated case, but a peak of continuous violence that victims suffer.
“Femicid does not happen randomly and from the air. It is the final act of violence when the perpetrator feels top-nakedness, especially when the victim decides. Then he passes into the escalation of violence and comes to figicide,” she warned.
In the analysis, the Center conducted, that the perpetrators of Femicida in a large number of cases were previously known to the institutions, that they had issued the prohibition of the approach, and even verdicts for domestic violence. However, as she pointed out, these signals were often not severely treated.
“In two of the three cases we analyzed, the perpetrators were already known to institutions. They had protective measures and judgments, but the system did not recognize that they represent a serious threat to their victims,” Jovanovic said.
She especially emphasized that children often indirect victims of domestic violence and fematicides, even when they are not physically suffered.
“Even when the child is not physically hurt or killed in the act of figicide, he remains without a mother and whole family. The victim remains for the whole life,” she warned.
Legal inconsistency
One of the key findings of the analysis is also legal unevenness in regulating the control of weapons within the Federation of BiH.
“The territory of the Federation of BiH applies to ten different cantonal laws on small and varnish weapons. We do not have a roof law. This creates space for legal uncertainty and different effects of institutions,” she pointed out.
As one of the problems, Jovanovic also allocated that the permits for the possession of weapons are issued for ten years without regular checks of the owner’s psychophysical ability.
“One of the recommendations is to shorten the duration of the weapon list. Currently, some permits last ten years without check, and that is extremely dangerous, especially when the weapon has a bully,” she said.
Asked how endangered women are even when there is a ban on access, Jovanovic responds that it is neither a guarantor security if the bully has access to weapons.
“Only the possession of a weapon gives an additional power, control, intimidation. The woman is then difficult to seek output from violence. That is why one of the most common reasons is not reported,” she emphasized.
Despite all difficulties, there are also positive examples. The center of women’s rights from Zenica cooperated with the Ministry of the Central Bosnia Canton on the education of police officers, and the results show that education and sensitization of the police can lead to concrete displacements.
“In SBK, we are invited to educate all police officers on the amendments to the laws and dynamics of violence. This shows that when there is will, there are only one case of femicids.
However, warns that the implementation of the new laws is not well prepared.
“No transitional period, the so-called Legis was left for the application of the law. No time given to the institutions, the police and other actors prepare and train,” explained.
Appeal to the media and citizens
At the end of the conversation, Jovanovic appealed to the media, institutions and citizens to stop tolerating and banging violence.
“Too often, we banalize violence against women and in the family. Even in cases of fematicides, the environment and media seek guilty in the victim. It is inadmissible,” she said.
The question of expectations from the new legal regulations Jovanović clearly said:
“We hope that the application of the law will contribute to the protection of victims of violence and prevent femicids. Especially since 90% of women who suffer in BiH suffer from the closest family members. It is not a coincidence,” it is a form “, it is a form,” N1 BiH.
