Greece on Friday toughened penalties for domestic violence in a bid to tackle a rise in reported crimes, although critics said the new law did not go far enough and left out key measures aimed at prevention.
During heated debates in Parliament, opposition lawmakers said the caretaker government, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was too focused on punishment. The new law extends pre-trial detention and allows sentences to be imposed only in special cases, while victims will no longer be forced to appear in court.
The bill also aims to integrate Greek law with a European Union directive from 2024 aimed at reducing domestic violence. That framework emphasizes prevention and requires member states to act against cyberstalking and other forms of online sexual harassment.
Lawyers, judges and women’s groups have argued that this new Greek law is only part of the implementation of the directive, and have called for measures such as public awareness campaigns, better access to justice for victims, and improved data collection and collaboration between officials, non-governmental organizations and other experts.
While defending the bill in Parliament, Ioannis Bougas, the deputy minister of justice, said that the law “deepens the framework for the protection of victims of domestic violence.” The bill was finally passed on Friday with 157 votes in the 300-seat Greek Parliament, which shows the government’s majority.
Anna Vouyioukas, chief advocate at the Diotima Center, an Athens-based nonprofit that supports victims of domestic violence, called the bill “a missed opportunity.” The agency criticized the law for not reflecting the “comprehensive and long-term policies” of the European order.
“It leaves out, without any justification, provisions aimed at improving the protection of vulnerable groups including homosexuals, the elderly, migrants and the poor,” added Ms. Vouyioukas.
Official statistics have shown a sharp increase in reports of domestic violence in Greece recently. Last year, there were 22,080 crimes – almost double the number from the previous year, according to police. Arrests nearly doubled over the same period, to 13,503.
Whether that increase is due to an increasing underlying problem or a greater willingness to report remains unclear. The police did not keep specific statistics on domestic violence until 2020 – showing how attitudes have recently changed and making long-term comparisons difficult.
“It is a complex phenomenon, it will take years of research to isolate the causes,” said Ms. Vouyioukas, referring to the lack of data.
The historic moment came in 2021 when Mr. Mitsotakis and the country’s president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, voiced their support for Sofia Bekatorou, the Olympic sailing champion who accused a top sports official of sexual harassment. That episode inspired a wave of women to report sexual and domestic abuse.
Greece’s association of judges and prosecutors called the new law “dangerous” and said it would “be a sign of a new reduction of individual rights.” In a statement on Monday, the union put forward several conditions, including that the defendants could not be sentenced without being able to question the complainants.
Lawmakers again opposed the bill and filed a motion Thursday and Friday because they say parts of the law — such as extending pretrial detention — violate constitutional protections including the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.
Clio Papapadoleon, a lawyer who represents victims of domestic violence, said the emphasis on arrest was short-sighted and could have “catastrophic” consequences.
“The automatic arrest of the defendants will make it difficult for the victims to come forward,” he said. “You have to think about the mentality of these people: If a person has three children with his partner, he will think twice about reporting him if he knows that he will be arrested immediately.”
Michalis Chrysochoidis, the minister of public order, last month said that the fight against domestic violence was a priority for the whole country. Last year, after a 28-year-old woman was stabbed to death outside a police station in the Athens area by her ex-boyfriend, her department began a program to open dozens of state shelters for victims of domestic violence.
Although reforms are on the way, most of the government’s actions have been in response to individual tragedies, Ms. Papapadoleon said, adding that the new law should have taken a more comprehensive approach.
“If it’s after the murder, or after the rape, it’s too late,” he said.
Source link
