Documentary series: Justice for Women

[Music]

flora lucka

and ariana lucka from albania married in

2010

and had two children facing economic

duress

they began arguing mr lecka made violent

threats

after those erupted in violent actions

mrs lucka reported him to the police

the court issued an immediate protection

order for mrs lucka

for 12 months less than one month later

mr lucka killed his wife how did this

happen

how did the system fail mrs lucka

because the police

never received the protection order and

were not there to protect her

because the social services office did

not receive the order

and did not follow up because no one

notified the local coordinator

against domestic violence institutions

that should have protected mrs lecka

failed to coordinate and communicate on

her case

they failed to follow legal procedures

for domestic violence

how can we prevent tragedies like this

ensure a better coordination among

institutions to protect survivors

make it compulsory training for police

officers to assess risks

require mandatory training for judges

and prosecutors on laws to protect

against domestic

violence establish emergency teams of

specialists

to evaluate and manage risks guarantee

obligatory and timely outreach to

survivors

on case status

[Music]

the six children of mirella kushta and

aryan kushta from albania

witnessed their drunk father repeatedly

abusing them

and their mother after the children

called the police

all family members were immediately

escorted to the police station

but mrs kushta and her children refused

to report mr kushta for

domestic violence or request a

protection order

mr kushta was detained for a few hours

six months later he killed his wife

how did this happen how did the system

fail mrs

kusta because the police did not assess

the risks

despite evidence of psychological

violence and alcohol abuse

because the police did not continuously

monitor the case

because the case was not reported to the

referral mechanism

to help survivors get support because

the survivors of violence

under the threat did not report it

because the police

without a report could not file a case

how can we prevent tragedies like this

require

mandatory training for police on

assessing and managing risks

amend the criminal code to criminalize

psychological violence

establishing emergency teams of field

specialists to evaluate and manage risks

ensure a better coordination and

communication among institutions

providing protection from violence

annis became psychologically and

physically violent with his wife

indira as soon as they married after a

year of

insults blackmail and constant attempts

to control her behavior

indira initiated a divorce anas

begged indira to come back he promised

he would change

indira became pregnant but the

harassment and violence

persisted afraid for their child andera

reported the abuse

for years aness used child custody

visits to hurt andera

the stress psychologically harmed their

daughter

how did this happen how did the system

fail indira

because social workers assigned to the

case rarely attended child custody

visits

because nothing was done about repeated

violence in front of the child

despite video evidence because the

center for social work

showed bias and prejudice towards indira

because civil and criminal procedures

took an unreasonably long time

because the courts prioritized anes's

right to see his daughter

over protecting her and indira how can

we prevent

tragedies like this ensure timely and

coordinated actions by social workers

the police and the judiciary provide

gender sensitive training for social

workers

to prevent harmful biases require

mandatory

training for judges and prosecutors on

laws against domestic violence

take into account all circumstances in a

case

such as repeated violence in front of a

child

[Music]

one afternoon alina returned home to

find a stack of firewood outside her

door

a gift from her former partner when she

lit a fire a few days later

the wood exploded her former partner had

hidden an

m52 hand grenade inside alina survived

but with devastating physical and

psychological injuries

she was forced to take out a loan to

cover her medical costs

since she received no compensation from

the perpetrator

and didn't qualify for free legal aid

despite a below average salary

the perpetrator was convicted but since

his eight-year sentence was postponed

nearly every day he drives by the bus

station where alina waits

staring at her from his car how did this

happen

how did the system fail alina because

she was never informed that she could

file for compensation from the

perpetrator

because lawyers were not knowledgeable

about best practices for cases of

violence against women

because protective measures were not

taken to stop the perpetrator from

harassing

alina because the state does not offer

integrated services

shielding victims from financial

hardship

how can we prevent tragedies like this

develop individual plans for protection

and support for every woman survivor

secure adequate and continuous financing

for integrated services

for victims at low or no cost require

mandatory training on responding to

violence against women

for everyone in the system of protection

amend laws to make quality

specialized support services and free

legal aid

available to all women survivors

[Music]

after ten years together fatima filed to

end her extramarital union with baseem

she took their daughter and went to live

with her parents

after basin began constantly threatening

her

fatime requested an emergency protection

order

three weeks later baseem killed fatime

in the center of pristina he has never

been brought to justice

and his parents were given custody of

the child

how did this happen how did the system

fail

fatime because the court did not issue

the protection order within 24 hours

as required by law because when fatima

died

three weeks after she requested the

order it had still not been issued

because as affirmed by the kosovo

constitutional court

judicial institutions violated fatima's

right to life

because the center for social work did

not enforce visitation rights for

fatima's parents

to see their granddaughter how can we

prevent

tragedies like this appoint more judges

specialized in criminal proceedings

related to domestic violence

issue emergency protection orders within

the time required by law

take consistent sufficient disciplinary

action against professionals

who fail to follow the law on domestic

[Music]

violence

her wedding night eminee began bleeding

heavily

from the violent sexual abuse of her new

husband

instead of bringing her to a hospital

her husband took her to a religious

leader who gave her traditional remedies

amina's condition worsened three days

later

she died her husband never charged with

rape or domestic violence

was sentenced to just two years in

prison

how did this happen how did the system

fail

eminem because the prosecution charged

eminee's husband with a violation of

family obligations

not sexual and domestic violence because

the lesser charge only came with a

two-year sentence

because at the time kosovo's criminal

code did not include a clear definition

of marital rape because eminee's husband

acquitted in his first trial was only

found guilty

eight years after her death how can we

prevent

tragedies like this sanctioned

professionals who mismanage cases of

violence against women

appoint more judges specialized in

domestic violence cases

require mandatory training on gender

sensitivity and case management

for all professionals involved in

preventing and prosecuting domestic

violence

the first time andre was physically

violent towards his wife

maria was during her pregnancy

for the rest of their four-year marriage

he constantly abused her

after she took their child and left he

threatened to hurt her

and kidnapped the child maria reported

him to the police

multiple times filed several requests

for protection orders

and started divorce proceedings despite

significant video

and text evidence of the abuse andrea's

visitation rights

were never revoked the stalking and

threats

continued for years how did this happen

how did the system fail maria and her

child

because maria was referred to mediation

during the divorce procedure

despite her reports of domestic violence

because the police only issued a verbal

warning after andrei

threatened to kidnap their child because

the court failed to enforce protection

orders when andre evaded court summons

because the law sets extremely low

punishments

for domestic violence how can we prevent

tragedies like this harmonize national

policies with the instant bull

convention

and the european union directive on

victims

make it mandatory to work with

perpetrators in the law on protection

from domestic violence

prohibit mediation by judges in domestic

violence cases

consistently apply the family law to

revoke or limit the child visitation

and custody rights of violent parents

[Music]

and pettar were married for 22 years and

had four children

after pettar became violent with his

wife and children

zoritza requested a protection order and

his removal from their home

yet she never received word from the

court on these measures

after pettar was charged with a

misdemeanor

he spent only 50 days in jail and then

the violence and harassment

continued when he was convicted a second

time

despite a criminal record and history of

violence

the judge gave him only two months in

prison

less than the legal minimum how did this

happen

how did the system fail zoritza and her

children

because the court failed to return a

timely decision

on the protective measures because the

prosecution did not acknowledge ptar's

criminal history

and illegal possession of firearms

although reported by the victim

because the two-month prison sentence

was below

the legal minimum because zoritza was

not made aware of her rights or services

like free legal aid how can we prevent

tragedies like this

make the rights of survivors central to

all measures for

all forms of violence against women

legally distinguish between misdemeanor

and criminal liabilities in domestic

violence cases

take into account the perpetrator's

history of violence

during sentencing and in issuing

protection orders

follow the law in managing cases of

domestic violence

for over five years even was physically

and psychologically violent

with his spouse anna anna reported the

violence to the police

and ivan was issued a misdemeanor fine

for violating public order

and peace the police took no other steps

to ensure anna's safety

even continued to be violent with his

spouse because of her disappointing

experience with the police

anna sought the help of an organization

that works with survivors

of domestic violence how did this happen

how did the system fail anna because the

police did not follow the mandatory

legal procedures for cases of domestic

violence because the violent incident

was treated as a violation of public

order

rather than domestic violence because

the law

stipulates a fine for officials who

failed to properly report domestic

violence

but this is rarely enforced because the

survivor was not informed by the police

or the center for social work about the

services that were available to her

because the survivor was only provided

with protection with the help of a civil

society

organization how can we prevent

tragedies like this

establish and fund safe houses for

domestic violence survivors

in accordance with international

standards

introduce the confidants or persons of

trust to provide survivors with

information about their rights

and legal procedures require mandatory

training for professionals

on handling cases of violence against

women

sanctioned professionals who mismanage

cases of violence against women

jovana ended her five-month relationship

with luca

after he became violent with her for the

next two years

luca continued to harass threaten and

physically and psychologically abuse

jovana

jovana reported this behavior to the

police and center for social work

more than 20 times but neither

institution

took any steps to prosecute luca or

protect yovana

legal action only began after jovana

took the case to a local organization

that assists victims of domestic

violence who advocated on her behalf

how did this happen how did the system

fail

yovana because the police did not file

an official report

for any of the more than 20 incidents of

violence that jovana reported

because neither the police nor the

center for social work

issued any temporary protection measures

because jovana was not given

any information about her rights the

legal procedures

she could initiate or the services

available to her

because once the charges were filed the

entire procedure

lasted seven months which is far longer

than the deadline

set in the law how can we prevent

tragedies like this

require mandatory training for police

officers social workers

and public prosecutors on their legal

obligations in managing cases

of domestic violence ensure that police

reports are filed consistently

and immediately in accordance with the

law hold officials accountable who do

not follow legal procedures

and mismanage cases of domestic violence

[Music]

during their marriage mrs nikolic

suffered repeated domestic violence at

the hands of her spouse

she reported the violence to the center

for social work

they said it was a family dispute and

conducted mediation

the violence continued the police

intervened

65 times during their marriage but they

usually suggested that mrs nikolich

should behave properly mrs nikolich

decided to file for divorce

and for custody of their three daughters

she also filed for a protection order on

grounds of domestic violence

but mr nikolic was only charged with

psychological violence

which is rarely punished three years

later

the court rejected all criminal charges

against mr nikolic

he was granted custody of two of their

three daughters

how did this happen how did the system

fail

mrs nikolic because the center for

social work classified the case as a

family dispute

rather than domestic violence because

the police failed to identify mr nikolic

as the primary aggressor

because the prosecutor only filed one

criminal charge of psychological

violence against mr nikolich

and none for physical violence because

the children were never recognized or

protected

as potential victims of violence because

the court did not consider parental

alienation by mr nikolic

as abuse despite clinical expertise

showing otherwise

how can we prevent tragedies like this

require mandatory training on gender

sensitivity

and working with survivors of violence

for all professionals

recognize psychological violence as a

severe and damaging form of domestic

violence

require additional training for police

officers to properly understand the

psychological aspects of violence when

assessing risk

follow strict procedures when responding

to any allegation

of domestic violence

petra was in a relationship with

vladimir who was often jealous

after vladimir became violent with her

petra

immediately reported the violence to the

police who undertook a risk assessment

and issued a 30-day emergency barring

order

vladimir violated the order and was

sentenced to 14 days

in jail a few days after his release

vladimir stabbed petra to death at a

football stadium

the story became a sensationalized news

item

the media portrayed petra as unfaithful

and responsible for her

own death how did this happen how did

the system fail her

because the police did not revise the

risk assessment when the perpetrator

left jail

because the center for social work did

not react sooner when petra reported

violence

although vladimir had a history of

violent behavior

towards his grandmother because

institutions blamed the victim for her

death

because she chose to meet him despite

the responsibility to make her aware of

the risks

because the media sensationalized the

perpetrator's claim

that she had been unfaithful blaming her

for her own death

how can we prevent tragedies like this

choir training for professionals to

counter stereotypes and develop

necessary skills to deal with domestic

violence cases

sanctioned professionals who mismanage

cases of domestic violence

develop individual plans for protection

and support for every victim

make it mandatory the risk assessment at

different stages

of procedures to prevent the violation

of urgent protective measures

during their marriage mr mert physically

and psychologically abused

mrs yamur and their children mr mert

even tried to burn her to death she

reported him to the police

several times mrs yamur left her husband

and went to court to file for divorce

she received a protection order against

him

two months later mr merch stabbed her to

death

in front of their children how did this

happen

how did the system fail mrs yamur and

her children

because turkey has yet to specifically

criminalize domestic violence against

women

as outlined in the istanbul convention

because mrs yamur and her children were

forced to leave their home

not the alleged perpetrator because the

mrs

yamur was not told she could receive

financial support

or safe accommodation because

perpetrators do not face serious

consequences

when they violate protection orders how

can we prevent

tragedies like this align turkish

criminal legislation with the

requirements of the istanbul convention

make shelters accessible and available

for all survivors of violence

as well as for their children appoint

gender-sensitive and experienced female

staff in law enforcement agencies

require regular training within police

units on legal

arrangements regarding violence against

women

sanctioned professionals who do not

enforce the law

mrs delai a young woman with

disabilities

was raped by her aunt's husband he

threatened to kill her if she told

anyone after he raped her a second time

mrs deli's sister reported it to the

police

one year later he was found not guilty

because a hospital report stated he had

erectile dysfunction

how did this happen how did the system

fail mrs delai

because all parties involved in the

investigation and prosecution process

were slow to act and did not assess all

the claims and evidence in detail

because mrs dili's school counselor

stated that her testimony was

unreliable due to her mental disability

because of the incestuous nature of the

crime officials kept the case quiet

preventing the public from advocating on

behalf of ms delai

because miss steli was discriminated

against throughout the case

due to her disability how can we prevent

tragedies like this

adhere to the standards in the istanbul

convention and national legislation

when investigating and prosecuting cases

ensure effective and proportionate

punishment for perpetrators

establish and maintain rape crisis

centers to provide

short-term and longer-term services for

victims of sexual violence

establish accessible and available

shelters for survivors of violence

especially women from disadvantaged

groups

require training for all professionals

to prevent

prejudice against women with

disabilities and ensure their equal

access to protection

employ specialist staff to provide

services to women victims of sexual

violence

taking into account the particularly

traumatic nature

of this crime violence against women

is the symptom not the virus the virus

is gender inequality

no cure will come as long as ineffective

prevention

protection and prosecution remain