Calls for femicide to become separate crime in Greece mount as two more women killed

Source: The Guardian

Calls for femicide to become separate crime in Greece mount as two more women killed

‘It has to be recognised as a term and as a crime’, says government opposition, after unprecedented number of women murdered by partners

Helena Smith in Athens
Tue 21 Dec 2021 11.47 GMT

The Greek government has come under growing pressure to introduce femicide as an offence in the country’s penal code amid outrage over the growing and unprecedented number of women being brutally murdered by their partners.

Two women were murdered by their husbands within five days last week, bringing the death toll to 17 since January, according to state-run television. Both men allegedly told police that they had killed their wives out of fear that they would leave them.

On Saturday police narrowly prevented an 18th woman being killed by her husband when officers broke down the door of the couple’s house as he held a knife to her throat.

With the Mediterranean country shaken by the sheer savagery of the killings, calls have mounted for tougher legislative action to confront what are seen by many as hate crimes.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/dec/21/greece-femicide-crime-two-more-women-killed