Call for action on femicide
Konstantopoulou urged the Minister of Justice to clarify whether Greece plans to follow the example of 18 EU member states that have established official bodies to document femicide. Highlighting the recent toll of 15 femicides in Greece this year, she condemned the government’s perceived inaction.
“Why this refusal to act? Why does the government fail to protect women when it is clear that both motive and circumstance make femicide a unique crime that deserves distinct treatment?” she demanded, suggesting that proper classification and analysis could lead to more effective prevention.
Lack of accountability
Konstantopoulou expressed frustration that Deputy Minister of Justice Ioannis Bougas, rather than Minister of Justice Giorgos Floridis, responded to her questions. She noted that Floridis had instead appeared on a television programme, dismissing calls to criminalise femicide by claiming that “women are not something special.”
This response, she said, ignored the urgent reality of ongoing femicides in Greece and downplayed the need for targeted political intervention.
Repeated pleas unanswered
Konstantopoulou revealed that she had submitted 33 formal questions to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the issue of femicide, none of which had received a response. “The government’s message is that nothing is happening,” she said, holding them accountable for perpetuating a culture of neglect toward women’s safety.
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