Femicide as a Systemic Failure - Responsibility of Institutions, Media, and Public Discourse

(Patria) - We, an informal group of activists and journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, extend our sincere condolences to the family of the woman murdered in Sarajevo on Friday, May 1, 2026, and strongly condemn femicide - the ultimate and most brutal form of violence against women, as well as the irresponsible reactions of the media and the public, according to a statement.

This is not another “family tragedy.” It is not a crime of “passion.” Femicide is a pattern – a consequence of a system that does not protect women.

Murder during divorce proceedings is not an isolated case. It is a high-risk situation for repeated threats, retaliation, and escalation of violence. In such cases, the most effective protective measure is detention. A measure that, unfortunately, is rarely sought or imposed in cases of domestic violence. Every murdered woman is proof that institutions have not seriously assessed the risk.

We demand that the police, prosecutor's offices, courts, and social work centers act urgently, in accordance with the risk to women's lives. Every unassessed threat, every lightly taken report, and every delay in action can have irreparable consequences.

We particularly warn against irresponsible media reporting during the search for the armed perpetrator who was on the run with a child. The public has the right to be informed about the danger, but police services must clearly set the boundaries of crisis communication in particularly sensitive cases involving children. Publishing locations and operational information in real-time can lead to changes in the perpetrator's behavior, accelerate escape, and directly endanger children. Every reporting error can come at too high a price for a child's life.

Informing the public should be based on safety, not sensationalism, speed, and clicks.

Public discourse accompanying news of femicide is equally dangerous.

We appeal to everyone who speaks out on this occasion - in the media, public appearances, social media comments, or through legal representation - to refrain from romanticizing perpetrators and their motives. Statements like “he loved her,” “he wasn't violent in the marriage,” “he was a good man,” or “he snapped” are not harmless. This is not an opinion without consequences. Such narratives encourage empathy for the perpetrator and create a social climate in which retaliation is normalized, and women are further discouraged from reporting violence.

Individuals who continuously encourage understanding for the act of murder and justify the perpetrator through social media comments can be considered at-risk individuals.

No circumstance justifies femicide. No emotion justifies murder. No public word should serve to relativize violence against women.

We remind women experiencing any form of violence of the SOS telephone numbers: 1265 in the Federation of BiH and 1264 in Republika Srpska.

Informal Group of Activists and Journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina

The informal group of activists and journalists from BiH consists of over thirty individuals who operate through media and women's NGOs around a common mission of preventing violence against women, strengthening institutional response, improving media reporting, and enhancing cooperation among allies - journalists and activists.