An effective judicial system is needed that will not allow tragedies like femicide to recur.
Laws have no value without implementation, without efficient judicial practice that will ensure fair and swift punishment for perpetrators. We must not allow victims of violent crimes to remain unprotected, and perpetrators to remain unpunished!
Representatives from the Ministry of Justice participated in the public debate on femicide organized by “Journalists for Human Rights”. Through institutional dialogue, solutions for better protection of victims and more effective prevention mechanisms were defined.
We inform that we are one of the first countries that signed the Istanbul Convention in 2011. Legal amendments were made to the Criminal Code in 2023 that criminalize gender-based violence and introduce the new qualification for femicide, with strictly foreseen and defined penalties.
Femicide is defined as a special, qualified form of the criminal offense "Murder", which provides for at least 10 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment for anyone who deprives another human being of life, a woman or a girl under 18 years of age, while committing gender-based violence.
Progress has also been achieved with the adoption of the Law on Payment of Monetary Compensation to Victims of Violent Crimes. In October 2024, we opened the Office of the Commission for Monetary Compensation to Victims of Violent Crimes, which is successfully functioning and processing procedures.
The Ministry of Justice will continue to invest in the legal system to provide real protection for all victims and we will continue to work on improving access to justice.
