ANNOUNCEMENT

April 3, 2024

With unspeakable sorrow and pain, overflowing anger, and unanswered questions, we stand for the umpteenth time as witnesses to yet another femicide. Kyriaki Griva is no longer with us. In a tragic irony, this femicide took place right in front of a police station, where just minutes before the victim had sought refuge from those responsible, those who are supposed to be trained to act immediately in cases of gender-based violence. How many more femicides must there be before the government stops pretending and boasting that it has taken all necessary measures to prevent violence against women, the most horrific manifestation of which is the taking of their lives? How much blood of innocents does it take to include the term ‘feminicide’ in the penal code and decide on a range of measures to prevent these phenomena? It is enough to consider that, as in the case of Aegina, in others in the past, as well as in Agioi Anargyroi, victims of abuse, before losing their lives, had repeatedly asked for help and protection from the Police Stations of their area. The callous indifference, the awkwardness, the adherence to formalism, the irresponsibility of the authorities, which also translates into a shortage of personnel in the police stations, has had a fatal impact on the lives of many women in our country in recent years, with incalculable consequences for their children and families, as well as for society as a whole.

The state itself urges women and children who receive any form of violence – verbal, psychological, physical or sexual – to seek help from state structures, but either they do not live up to their duty or state legislation itself exacerbates and perpetuates the abuse of women and children. Imagine the terror and despair of Kyriaki Grivas finding herself in a corner of indifference and murder, between the hell of criminal indifference of the authorities and the crime itself, Kyriaki Grivas had not appealed to the police for the first time yesterday, but also in the past, reporting rape and abuse. So, when the police turn a deaf ear, they automatically become accomplices and accomplices in the crime.

As an INITIATIVE AGAINST FEMINICIDE and in view of the European elections, we stress with a strong voice that there is no need for SAD, no need for lamentations, no need for headlines and extensive reporting. As an INITIATIVE AGAINST FEMINICIDE we demand what is completely self-evident from a (supposed) European rule of law, which has international obligations on how to prevent violence against women and children and prevent femicide:

– Inclusion of the term “feminicide” in the penal code, which despite pressure from feminist organizations and reputable jurists was not included in recent amendments

– Immediate implementation and observance of the terms of the Istanbul Convention, as well as the recommendations of the GREVIO Committee of the Council of Europe, in order to improve legislation, shield victims, prevent violence against women and children and provide adequate public support and protection structures

– Staffing with sufficient and trained personnel for gender-based violence in all Police Stations across the country, so that they can immediately deal with such incidents

– Increase and strengthening of support, accommodation and prevention structures for incidents of violence against women and children by Municipalities

– Urgent introduction of courses on gender equality at all levels of education and relevant teacher training

– Extensive training programs for all officers who come face to face with incidents of violence, such as: police officers, doctors, mental health professionals, nurses, lawyers, judges, prosecutors, journalists, etc.

We are here with the whole feminist movement, all women and men, calling for an end to the death toll on women. And we will join our voices with all our sisters and brothers around the world to end femicide, which has taken the form of a global pandemic.

NOT ONE LESS!