Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the Istanbul Convention, the state is obliged to protect women who report violence and punish the perpetrator

(Patria) - On the occasion of femicide and two murders that occurred in Gradačac, the Committee for Monitoring the Implementation and Reporting on the Istanbul Convention and Femicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina extends its sincerest condolences to the families of the murdered.

The Committee considers the situation regarding femicide and gender-based violence to be alarming and, as such, requires due diligence and urgent action from all competent institutions.

The Committee is a body of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, headed by the Agency for Gender Equality of BiH of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, among other things, has the task of analyzing data on cases of femicide and providing recommendations for further action in order to prevent this most severe form of violence against women.

In accordance with the above, and at the initiative of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina has begun to record data on the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator in cases of murder of women. These data showed that a total of 19 women were murdered in the period 2021 and 2022.

The Committee reminds that Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2013 and committed to taking legislative and other measures to ensure the prevention and protection of victims of violence, and the punishment of perpetrators of violence.

According to the Istanbul Convention, the state is obliged to act with due diligence in all reported cases of violence against women, which includes the necessary legislative or other measures to prevent, investigate, and punish acts of violence covered by this convention.

The Istanbul Convention stipulates the obligation of member states to take the necessary measures to ensure that for reported cases of violence against women, a risk assessment of the danger of murder, the seriousness of the situation, and the danger of repeated violence is carried out, and that, if necessary, coordinated support for victims is provided.

Femicide is not an isolated event; it is necessary to consider the specific context in which the murder occurred. More than one-third of attempted and committed femicides occurred in the victim's apartment, house, or yard, confirming that the most dangerous place for a woman experiencing violence is precisely her home. Most murders were preceded by long-term violence that was not reported or was reported but lacked an adequate institutional response; also, in most cases, the perpetrator was a former spouse, common-law partner, or emotional partner.

In accordance with the above, the Committee calls on the competent institutions to act with due diligence and take all necessary measures prescribed by the Istanbul Convention to prevent future cases of femicide, as well as all forms of violence against women and girls, and domestic violence.