'Why must we be silent?': horrific attack in Kyrgyzstan puts focus on violence against women

‘Why must we be silent?’: horrific attack in Kyrgyzstan puts focus on violence against women

Case in which man cut off his ex-wife’s nose and ears – while on probation for raping her – causes huge debate in country where femicide and domestic abuse rife

Last modified on Fri 27 Oct 2023 05.53 EDT


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Asel Nogoibaeva sits up in her hospital bed, with her mutilated face hidden behind bandages so only her eyes can be seen. In a hushed voice, she recounts the day last month when her ex-husband turned longstanding abuse and threats into a vicious attack at the home she shared with her sons in Selektsionnoye, in northern Kyrgyzstan. “He hit me twice on the head with his fists, then began to strangle me,” she says. “I heard my youngest son screaming and crying, then I lost consciousness. I woke up on the kitchen floor. Everything was covered in blood.” Nogoibaeva could not work out where the blood was coming from. It was only later that she found out that her ex-husband had cut off her nose and ears.
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Nogoibaeva’s is just the latest of many similar cases of femicide and violence against women in Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous central Asian country where activists say public indifference is exacerbating the problem. Campaigners at the Femicide in Kyrgyzstan project have identified at least 300 murders of women – at the hands of their husbands, boyfriends or former partners – between 2008 and 2020. In 70% of the cases, the killer attempted to dispose of the body to hide the crime, they said. During the first eight months of 2023, 8,512 cases of domestic violence were officially registered, according to the ministry of internal affairs. Just 2% have gone to trial. In 2022, only 2,709 of 6,580 registered domestic violence cases went to trial.


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Asel Nogoibaeva: ‘I cried with fear. I told the court that he came to my house and said he would kill me, but they didn’t listen.’ Photograph: Aigerim Turgunbaeva

Her lawyers and relatives are calling for an investigation into the actions of the judge who released Estebesov. They also want an explanation as to why police ignored her complaints after he had broken the terms of five restraining orders in the past year. The case has caused a debate in Kyrgyzstan, with a lot of sympathy for the family but also criticism of them for going public. Shortly after Nogoibaeva spoke out, one MP, Mirlan Samyikozho, said such cases should not be discussed publicly. “It is necessary to control where such information comes from and who distributes it,” he told parliament.

Tinatin Kataganova, Nogoibaeva’s mother, says only public outrage could change the culture of violence in the country. “Some MPs say we should not give interviews and not talk about what happened. Why should we be silent? After all, it is the judicial system that is to blame for the fact that my daughter went through so much and was on the verge of death. The judge must be punished,” she says. She adds that while there may be a public outcry over individual cases, many people in the country accept that violence and humiliation of women by their husbands are simply facts of life.

In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/oct/27/why-must-we-be-silent-horrific-attack-in-kyrgyzstan-puts-focus-on-violence-against-women