During the 2019-2020 period, there were 13 femicides, 5 in 2021, and 1 in 2022, totaling 19 femicides over a 4-year span, according to data from the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies.
Femicide – the intentional killing of women motivated by gender – is not only the most extreme form of gender-based violence against women but also the most violent manifestation of discrimination and inequality against them, stated the Director of the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies, Suzana Pavlou.
Despite the magnitude of the problem and calls from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, she noted, femicide data is not officially and systematically collected in the EU, and there is a lack of cross-border tools to study femicide.
“With the establishment of the European Observatory on Femicide, an international database began to develop, allowing for comparisons to be made. However, femicide is a subject that has not been adequately researched. There is no common definition of femicide. Moreover, harmful attitudes, behaviours, and stereotypes, as well as a lack of understanding of the gender dynamics of femicides by partners, hinder prevention measures, including timely and effective intervention,” she added.
Pavlou mentioned that the publication “Policy for the Prevention of Femicide: Cyprus”, within the framework of the FEM-UnitED project co-funded by the European Union, aims to improve responses to cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic violence, aiming to reduce harm to women and children and prevent femicide, as well as to create data for collective policy change.
The collaboration under the FEM-UnitED project covers five EU countries and includes: the University of Malta, the Cyprus University of Technology, the Institute of Empirical Sociology (IfeS) at the Friedrich-Alexander Erlangen-Nürnberg University in Germany, the University of Zaragoza in Spain, and the University of Porto in Portugal.
The project team also includes NGOs for women’s rights and gender equality: the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (Cyprus), the Foundation for Women’s Rights (Malta), and UMAR – União de Mulheres Alternativa e Resposta (Portugal).
Prevalence of Femicides
During the 2019-2020 period, there were 13 femicides, 5 in 2021, and 1 in 2022, totaling 19 femicides over a 4-year span.
According to Pavlou, the FEM-UnitED project revealed that official national data collected by the Police and courts are not comparable among partner countries in the project due to different legal definitions and/or different statistical frameworks for counting cases.
Therefore, a key priority and goal of the FEM-UnitED project was the development of two data collection tools: one for quantitative and one for qualitative data collection. Information was collected from the media, police press releases, or other available sources for the years 2019-2020.
“Based on the data collected for the years 2019-2020, the total number of femicide cases recorded in Cyprus was 11, with 2 victims being girls. All these cases, except one, were noted within the context of intimate partner violence and/or domestic violence,” Pavlou added.
Among the 5 partner countries in the FEM-UnitED project, Cyprus had the highest percentage of femicides, adjusted for population proportions.
Based on the quantitative data collected, the main characteristics of femicides in Cyprus were:
(i) the majority occurred within the context of intimate partner violence and/or domestic violence
(ii) all perpetrators were men
(iii) the majority of victims were non-Cypriot nationals, with migrant backgrounds
(iv) the majority of perpetrators were Cypriot nationals
(v) only one case was known to the Police and Social Welfare Services, where the victim had filed a complaint and a restraining order had been issued
(vi) the majority of femicide cases resulted in a trial, and the perpetrator was convicted of murder.
Based on the qualitative analysis, the following common points were identified:
(i) There was a history of violence from partners and/or domestic violence.
(ii) The femicides occurred within the context of separation between the victim and the perpetrator.
(iii) The perpetrator had threatened to kill the victim before the femicide.
The research results highlight that:
(i) Issuing restraining orders was not sufficient to prevent femicide in one of the cases.
(ii) Although the refugee status of one of the victims led to early involvement of social services and the police, potential linguistic and cultural barriers, as well as the increased vulnerability of the victim, were not adequately addressed.
(iii) In one of the cases, the perpetrator was reported to have mental health problems and had threatened suicide before committing femicide.
(iv) Media representation identified the perpetrator’s threat to commit suicide only as a mental illness and not as a coercive control strategy by the perpetrator over the victim.
Gaps and challenges
According to the FEM-UnitED project, although the legal framework provides for the issuance of restraining orders in cases of intimate partner and domestic violence, there is no available data to ascertain the number and type of restraining orders issued in Cyprus.
Therefore, it is reported that it is not possible to assess their prevalence or effectiveness in protecting victims or preventing further violence, including femicide. Additionally, there is no information on whether the restraining measures are effectively monitored or what actions the police/supervisory authorities take to ensure compliance with the restraining order directives.
Moreover, despite the significant number of immigrants in Cyprus and the high frequency of violence against women and femicides in this group, immigrant women and those from ethnic minorities are not specifically addressed in the National Action Plans, making them invisible at the policy level. Overall, the National Action Plans do not mention or provide actions to combat violence against migrant women, women with disabilities, single mothers, and other vulnerable groups of women.
Additionally, public authorities do not collect comprehensive data on all forms of violence against women, by gender and age of victim and perpetrator, type of violence, and relationship between victim and perpetrator. Available data only include cases of domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault reported to the police. There is limited research or data on violence against women from ethnic minorities or immigrants in Cyprus.
Regarding risk assessment, there is a protocol in cases of intimate partner violence, including cases of ex-spouses and partners, which has been implemented by the police since 2018. However, to date, no evaluation of the risk assessment protocol has been conducted, thus it is not possible to ascertain its use and effectiveness in reducing and preventing intimate partner violence and, consequently, femicide. Other frontline professionals (e.g., Social Welfare Services, Health Services) do not use risk assessment tools to inform so that immediate response is activated in cases of violence against women.
It is noted that although Cyprus has developed inter-agency cooperation procedures between the Police, Social Welfare Services, and Health Services in cases related to domestic violence, there is an absence of a gender dimension and connection between domestic violence or intimate partner violence and femicide. This has led to gaps in victim protection systems, hindering femicide prevention. Frontline services, for example, in the healthcare sector, lack specialized or inter-agency protocols, procedures, and guidelines for identifying and handling cases of domestic and intimate partner violence.
It is also noted that there is generally limited expertise regarding violence against women among frontline professionals. This is a result of a lack of specialized training. Training is offered by NGOs but not systematically due to lack of funding. Moreover, training for violence affecting specific groups of women, especially in relation to migrants and women with disabilities, is absent.
According to Pavlou, until now, national action plans have not made any reference or included actions specifically for the prevention of femicide. Moreover, national action plans are not accompanied by specific measurable targets, qualitative and quantitative indicators, adequate funding allocation, and there are no monitoring or evaluation data. National action plans lack the political will and resources required for their implementation and remain largely on paper.
Furthermore, it is noted that the media promotes sexist and stereotypical perceptions about women. Media reports on femicides do not present the gender dimension and the connection of violence against women with domestic/intimate partner violence. This connection is often overlooked, focusing on the male perpetrator. Additionally, media coverage of femicides in Cyprus is characterized by the use of sexist language attributing responsibility to the victim, normalizing violence committed by men against women.
Recommendations for effective prevention and intervention
The recommendations for effective prevention and intervention according to FEM-UnitED involve gathering reliable and updated statistical data on victims and perpetrators of all forms of violence against women, disaggregated by gender, age, and victim-perpetrator relationship.
The training of frontline professionals dealing with victims and perpetrators of all acts of violence against women – specifically in preventing femicide by partners – should be mandatory and systematic.
It is noted that a standardized approach to risk assessment should be adopted, promoting common understanding of risk throughout the system and a shared language for risk communication. Risk assessment protocols that are both gender-sensitive and culturally adapted should be used by all frontline professionals.
Additionally, risk factors related to coercive and controlling behaviour should be incorporated into these protocols. Specialized training for frontline professionals on the use of risk assessment tools is also essential.
As highlighted in the work, the use of protection orders should both increase and enhance their effectiveness, ensuring the development and implementation of monitoring mechanisms to provide effective safety and protection for women and their children. Violations of protection orders should be appropriately punished to serve as a deterrent.
It is also emphasised that cooperation and coordination among various bodies should be strengthened, supporting interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration, involving all relevant entities, including women’s organisations and NGOs, within the framework of the Women’s House, which operates as a crisis management and support centre for victims of violence against women.
Barriers to accessing comprehensive protection and support for all women and girls must be removed, especially for those in disadvantaged positions facing multiple discriminations, including women of migrant origin.
Furthermore, it is stressed that the reservation of the Republic of Cyprus regarding Article 59 of the Istanbul Convention concerning autonomous residence permits for migrant women experiencing violence should be lifted.
FEM-UnitED further states that girls who are murdered should be counted as victims of femicide. Children living under the regime of intimate partner violence should be automatically recognised as victims and effectively treated.
