Abuse

Gender-based violence is a pervasive issue in the Balkans; in Kosovo alone, a 2018 survey found that 68 per cent of women had experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, with 60 per cent of respondents saying they had experienced violence just in the past year.

The Council of the EU has announced that it has adopted a decision on the accession of the EU to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention).

Almost half of the victims said they reported the violence they suffered to the police. Of the 27 women who shared their experiences in the questionnaire, 44 per cent said the instructions they received from competent institutions after reporting were unclear. A larger percentage of respondents, over 56 per cent, complained about the Centres for Social Work.

A wide-reaching review of bank accounts, including of the bosses of some of Slovenia's main media outlets, has raised speculation about potential political abuse of the Office for Money Laundering Prevention under the previous government.

The Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (SPAVO) in Cyprus has released data revealing a concerning surge in domestic and partner violence incidents in 2022. Throughout the year, SPAVO's services dealt with a total of 3,122 cases, marking a steady escalation compared to 2,854 incidents in 2021, 2,147 in 2020, and 1,384 in 2019.

According to UNESCO, school violence is a major problem. Its report, Behind the numbers: ending school violence and bullying, published in 2019, shows that more than one in three students (36%) has been involved in a physical fight with another student, and almost one in three (32.4%) has been physically attacked at least once in 2018. 

In other news, the new Hungarian chief of defence staff puts military boot in mouth; more evidence emerges that object found in Polish forest was indeed a Russian cruise missile; and Czechs unveil draft legislation aimed at tightening protection for victims of domestic violence.

An investigation group commissioned by the parliament has prepared a report listing the measures to be taken to "intervene and eliminate child abuse risks," after a shocking case of a woman who was forced to marry at the tender age of 6 came to the forefront.

The case of Alexis Georgoulis, a member of the European Parliament for SYRIZA who resigned after an investigation into alleged sexual abuse, brought back familiar stereotypes about rape, which many of us hoped had been put to rest by now. But since repetition is the only way to deconstruct these cliches and disconnected inferences, let's clarify some points again:

Representatives of farmers have walked out of talks with the government, announcing a new protest rally, after the ruling coalition tabled a bill introducing what has been labelled as animal police.