The seven femicides at the hands of the serial killer in 2019 that shocked the whole of Cyprus, were proof of the patriarchal and outdated perceptions that still prevail in our country, with the man having the "upper hand" and the woman being his subordinate.

Since then, another 16 femicides have been committed, i.e. murders of women within a marriage, an affair by an ex-husband or partner. The last was last Wednesday, when a 62-year-old Iranian man killed his ex-wife with an iron bar, apparently, due to the end of their relationship. Unfortunately, the reasons that arm the hand of the abuser against a woman within the marital home have always been related to the perception that the man is in charge and the woman must obey. On the other hand, the victim trapped in the relationship is afraid to react in case she finds herself alone, especially when there are children in the middle, resulting in "a vicious circle of violence against women", as stated by the professor of criminology, Andros Kapardis. Stereotypes must be broken, so that the woman knows that she has support, that she is not alone and that there are mechanisms for protection if she needs it.

According to Police data, from 2020 until today, 16 femicides have been committed, most of them with a horrific and torturous death for the woman-victim. Whether the victim is a Cypriot or a foreigner, the motives are almost the same. The spouse-partner cannot stand the breakup of the relationship, or there are other problems such as drugs and alcohol that lead to destructive behaviours.

Police data show a decrease in femicides in the last six years, although this can change at any time. In 2020, five femicides were committed, five cases were opened and three were convicted. In 2021, we also had five femicides, in 2022 there were two and in 2023 one. In 2024, one femicide was committed and this year two, with the victims being two foreign women, one in Paphos and one in Nicosia. In 2019, we had a record number of femicides, since a total of 9 femicides occurred (7 of which concern the Metaxas case). If we go back, from 2014 onwards, the last femicide with a female victim from Iran is the 43rd.

The worst nightmare of the authorities and NGOs dealing with violence in the family and the protection of victims, the hundreds of complaints every year from women about incidents of violence with the perpetrator being the husband or partner, which can end in femicide. According to the criminologist and former head of the Sub-Directorate for the Management of Vulnerable Persons, Koulla Lambrianidou, for the handling of such incidents of violence in the family there are protocols that guide the investigators how to handle them. Recently, the "Elpis" application was also launched, where women have it on their mobile phones and with the push of a button, the Police are silently informed, rushing for help when a woman is in danger.

It is noted that the offense of "femicide" was added in July 2022 by an amending Law (L.117(I)/2022) to the basic Law (L.115(I)/2021) ("the Prevention and Combating of Domestic Violence and Related Issues Law of 2021"), following a law proposal by the Speaker of the Parliament, Annita Demetriou. As it was explained to us, when we talk about a premeditated crime, then the conviction is based on the crime of premeditated murder and not femicide. On the contrary, if it was committed in the heat of the moment, then it is considered as femicide. In murder, it was clarified, mitigating conditions are not taken into account, while in femicide, although a sentence of up to life is provided, however, mitigating circumstances are provided and thus the sentence is reduced.

It is noted that according to data from the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (SPAVO), about 3,300 cases of domestic violence are managed every year. Of these, 800 meet the Council of Europe's criteria that they are at increased risk of losing their lives, while 400 face health consequences due to long-term abuse. Many complaints never reach the Courts, either because the victims withdraw them or because they receive threats.

Andros Kapardis: We should focus on prevention

Breaking stereotypes and doing a lot for prevention is the position of Professor Emeritus of Criminology, at the Department of Law of the University of Cyprus and the University of Cambridge, Andros Kapardis.

Femicide, he tells "F", is the result of the following three characteristics: The first concerns the perception that in an unequal relationship, the man has the upper hand. The other characteristic is that it is preceded by a period of serious tensions and threats with the perpetrator threatening the wife or partner "that he will kill her". We have warning signs when it comes to women. Unlike other types of murders, femicides are murders that belong to crimes under the same roof, unlike murders between men who are mostly unrelated to the family.

The third characteristic is the psychology of the woman, i.e. the victim. Victims first forgive their abuser and unjustifiably blame themselves or believe that his behaviour can change. It is the syndrome of the abused woman who is a "slave of her abuser". Despite the threats, the vast majority do not abandon him. The woman finds herself in a vicious circle that does not know how to get out of a problematic relationship. Dr. Kapardis notes that a large percentage of the perpetrators are foreigners.

According to him, what should be invested is prevention. The first action that must be taken is for the woman to leave the relationship. There are shelters for abused women. So, the first thing is to get out of the relationship, because most likely the abuser is not going to change. The next step is to give a statement to the Police and report it. The third step is to find a shelter, since many women think that if they leave they will be alone.

Regarding the protection of victims, Mr. Kapardis notes that the Police should move more timely and effectively. They have improved in the way we reacted before we reached femicide. Before we get to the murder, there are several steps that can be taken, such as removal, prohibition by decree of the perpetrator from approaching the victim, etc.

Regarding what needs to be done to change the situation, the criminology professor observes that there are outdated perceptions that women are under the thumb of men. "This must change and the state must invest in prevention. A multicultural strategy is needed for prevention so that messages reach everywhere. Better and effective coordination of the Services is needed. The victim needs more protection and we should break stereotypes," he concludes.