The annual Oxygono Debate on "Femicide" took place on Thursday night, in collaboration with the non-governmental non-profit organization Oxygono and the Law Department of the University of Cyprus
The discussion was moderated by the Associate Professor of Criminal Law and Philosophy of Law, scientific director of the research program "Gynecology and room for apology in terms of the purposes of the sentence", Dr. Harris Papacharalambous.
The Debate was attended by MP Rita Theodorou Superman and the Prosecutor, Aristotle Doga.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Annita Dimitriou, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Stefi Drakou, as well as the President of the Pancyprian Bar Association, Dr. Christos Clerides.
The discussion was conducted on the basis of the Oxygono discussion rules, which provide for the discussion to take place within a specific time frame. The discussion was based on specific topics.
Debate Communication Sponsor was the Cyprus News Agency.
Identical offense punishable by life imprisonment
The discussion focused on the enactment of the law on gynecology in Cyprus.
As it was said, Cyprus aspires to become the first European country to adopt a law on genocide, with the proposal of the Law of the Speaker of Parliament, Annita Dimitriou, which if voted in favor, the crime of genocide will be established as a separate crime, which will carries a sentence of life imprisonment.
According to the draft law, the murder of a woman will be considered as murder as a result of violence by a sexual partner, torture and misogyny, and domestic violence.
The Legal Service is concerned about whether the personal offense will facilitate the work of criminal investigators, who will take on greater evidentiary weight in female homicide cases.
The need for legal recognition of gynecology is imperative
Addressing the annual Oxygono Debate on "Femicide", the Speaker of Parliament, Annita Dimitriou, said that today, more than ever, the need for legal recognition of female genital mutilation as an individual crime, which even carries the sentence of life imprisonment, becomes urgent. in response to gender-based violence. "
As he said, this phenomenon is growing, noting that its components are based on inequality and the display of force against the sex, constituting the structural elements of a crime, which the criminal code in most countries still traditionally treats as neutral in nature.
Referring to the amendment of the penal code in relation to the commission of murders, Ms. Dimitriou said that this amendment will strengthen the legal arsenal of criminal justice in Cyprus in a way that this law is modernized and fully in line with international obligations. of the Republic to eliminate violence and all forms of discrimination against women or groups of women.
"The introduction of such a crime will help to eliminate stereotypes and to cultivate the required awareness," he added.
More than 40 murders of women in Cyprus in the last 10 years
The Minister of Justice and Public Order, Stefi Drakou, stated that the numbers are "shocking", to note that every day around the world more than 130 women are murdered by their ex or current husbands or partners or by a member of their family, for because they were women.
Regarding Cyprus, Ms. Drakou said that in the last decade there have been more than 40 murders of women, adding that thousands of complaints have been registered for serious forms of sexual violence and abuse.
According to Ms. Drakou, "society must face the phenomena of gender-based violence in order to be able to deal with them effectively", noting that "no political, legislative or administrative effort to effectively deal with violence can succeed. , unless deep and substantial incisions are made, which will be based on the cultivation of zero tolerance to such phenomena ".
Message of solidarity with the adoption of legislation
The President of the Pancyprian Bar Association, Christos Clerides, said that Cyprus does not reach the statistics of other countries, but definitely with the enactment of the legislation, a message of solidarity is sent, noting that "we must listen to society and be predictable and therefore enactment of the homonymous offense of gynecology ".
He expressed the view that "feminicide as a personal crime sends a message to society in the context of solidarity that we must pay attention to the trends observed and take action in a timely manner."
He referred to the reservations expressed by the Legal Service in the House of Representatives, saying that they were not reservations as to whether the homonymous crime of genocide should be adopted, but as to the wording of the bill.
He explained that "although the bill makes homicide as a crime punishable by life imprisonment, it also defines specific cases and specializes, which constitute the crime of homicide."
"The concern of the Legal Service, possibly if these provisions are met, is that it will be several times more difficult to prove the crime of genocide. Perhaps it would be better for the new proposed article in the criminal code to stipulate that female genital mutilation is indeed punishable by life imprisonment and those factors in the bill, which are specified as part of the actus reus, which must be proved in order to exist. "The crime of gynecology should be judged to be aggravating factors, which will be taken into account by the court when imposing the sentence," he said.
Source: KYPE