Special article on femicide may be added to Criminal Code

A special article on femicide may be added to the Criminal Code of Georgia.

Femicide is a crime involving the violent and deliberate killing of a woman, but many states do not specifically define such a crime in their criminal codes. As a result, statistics are hard to come by.

According to the bill initiated by MPs Tamar Kordzaia and Tamar Khidasheli, femicide by a former husband, partner or family member is punishable by 11-14 years of imprisonment.

Georgian Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili says that while efforts have been made to improve the legal framework to tackle family violence, the practice shows that a lack of proper enforcement of the law is a problem.

“Along with public indifference, the main challenge is inadequate application of available protection mechanisms,” Nanuashvili said. “In most of the cases examined by the Public Defender’s Office, the reaction of law enforcement agencies was limited to just issuing a warning letter.”

Such a measure is not even envisaged by the existing legal framework for protection against violence and is completely ineffective. There have been some cases when a person has received a written warning, but continues to practice violence against women.

The new legislative amendment might have some influence on the current situation but it is less likely to decrease the prevelance of family violence.

In many cases, women who are victims of violence have no education and do not work, and so they have no other place to go and find shelter.

The Government - and not only the Government - should be more active to prevent early marriages in Georgia and encourage people to receive a full education, especially vocational education.

The Government should also organise institutions where the victims of violence can stay safely.