Government spox Economou: Punishment for domestic violence is now much harsher

Dealing with domestic violence must be carried out through the relevant support services, even within the family environment, government spokesperson Giannis Economou told ANT1 TV on Saturday.

Economou was referring to Friday's fatal incident at Crete, where a woman, 48, was stabbed to death by her husband, 54.

"The government has made great strides in this direction," the spokesperson noted.

"Hellenic Police has developed a plan which has begun to be implemented in cooperation with local government authorities, so as to have a timely and rapid recording of such incidents, and catch up - before the situation reaches a point of no return," he added.

Economou also noted that changes in the penal code tighten penalties for criminal acts in their entirety, and increase imprisonment for homicide.

"For homicides, in principle, the only punishment is now life imprisonment. In addition, the statute of limitations for cases of sexual violence and abuse of minors is extended, whether it concerns physical violence or sexual abuse," he said.

"The punishment for rape and abuse becomes very severe and now reaches life imprisonment," the spokesperson said, adding: "Institutionally and legally, the State now shields citizens against any such incidents."

READ MORE: 5,413 cases of domestic violence were recorded in Greece in 2020.