December 5th 2016, Belgrade – As part of the 16 Days against Gender Based Violence campaign, we invite you again this year, to join us on Tuesday December 6th, and together with the Women against Violence Network and Women in Black, commemorate the Montreal Massacre1 – a commemoration that is marked world wide. On this occasion we request that there be no more murders motivated by hatred of women.
The Women against Violence Network and Women in Black dedicate this day to women in Serbia who were murdered in a partner-family context. We will organize a street protest that will start on December 6th 2017 at 1:00 pm in front of the National Assembly2, and continue down Kneza Milosa street to the Government building. These days, when the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence is being marked world wide, when all media and state representatives are talking about violence against women being impermissible, it was precisely from the media that we have learned of another woman being murdered. G.N. (64) was murdered by her son S.N. (41) just a few days after he was already reported for domestic violence and was interrogated by police3. She is the thirty second woman murdered in 2016 for whom we know that she was killed by a partner or male family member.
We remind the public that, despite all the efforts and actions, this year ends with defeating statistics showing that in Serbia between 30 to 40 women are murdered each year by their partner or male family member. We demand that the state consistently implement laws which regulate violence against women and domestic violence, that professionals working in institutions must work in accordance to the law and existing protocols, and must be held accountable for professional omissions. We demand that the state and institutions and society believe women because this is the only way women can believe that they should report violence!
1The Montreal Massacre took place on December 6th 1989 when 25 year old Marc Lepine armed with a semiautomatic gun and a knife killed 14 women and wounded thirteen people (nine women and four men) at the Montreal University in Canada. He yelled “You are women, you will become engineers. You’re a horde of feminists. I hate feminists”. He then committed suicide. Marc Lepine believed that he was rejected from the Technical Faculty at University. He left a suicide note where he explained his hate of feminists, and added a list of 19 prominent women whom he especially hated.
2If the Assembly convenes that day the gathering will take place in the Pioneer Park near the fountain (Girl with Pitcher).
3The murder happened on October 7th 2016. At first it was thought that G.N. died of due to smoke inhalation during the fire in her home. However, the autopsy showed she was beaten and strangled and the murderer started the fire in an attempt to hide the evidence.