Two More Women Killed by Ex-Partners in Greece, Renewing Calls for Action on Femicide Crisis

ATHENS, Greece – The deaths of two women in Greece at the hands of their former partners within just 24 hours this week have intensified calls for urgent action to address the country’s alarming femicide crisis.

As of Wednesday, Greek media reported that 13 women have been killed in 2024, underscoring the troubling rise in femicides across the country.

The two recent murders occurred in the western part of Greece. On Monday, a 43-year-old mother of three, identified in reports as Dora, was shot and killed by her ex-partner in the city of Agrinio. She later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital. The following day, a 41-year-old woman from Patras named Garyfalia died in an Athens hospital from wounds inflicted by her ex-partner several days earlier.

"Many things need to change immediately,” said Natasha Makridima, a psychologist at a shelter for women victims of violence in Agrinio, speaking to the daily Kathimerini. “We need to change the way we think about women and violence.”

In the case of Dora’s murder, her alleged attacker had previously been prosecuted for domestic violence and was due to face court just four days after the killing.

In response to increasing violence against women, Greece launched a smartphone panic button app for women facing domestic abuse in March. While Dora had not downloaded the app, police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou stated that, given the circumstances of the murder, the victim would not have had time to use it.

Calls for more comprehensive efforts to tackle deeply ingrained gender inequality in Greek society are also growing. Experts argue that schools and families must do more to challenge patriarchal attitudes, which continue to fuel violence against women.

"The patriarchy will not magically disappear," news247, a Greek media outlet, stated on Wednesday, pointing out that despite the panic button initiative, "dangerous gaps" remain in protecting women from violence.

One of the women murdered this year was killed outside an Athens police station in April while seeking help for stalking by her ex-partner.

The recent deaths have further highlighted the urgency of addressing gender-based violence in Greece, with many demanding more robust protection measures and systemic changes to prevent further tragedies.

Source Agence France-Presse