How can we prevent femicide in the Netherlands?
In the media image: Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
Every year, around 40 women are murdered in the Netherlands. The perpetrator is often their partner or ex-husband. Assistant Professor Ellen Gijselaar spoke to NOS News about femicide: 'It’s impossible to prevent all these cases, but you can limit the risk.'
Last week, 39-year-old Joeweela was shot dead by her ex-husband while walking along a street in the Dutch city of Gouda. Her children witnessed the shooting. The man had previously been sentenced to 13 years in prison for attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend. This is no one-off occurrence. It’s yet another case of femicide: a form of gender-related violence where a woman is deliberately killed because of her gender. Femicide occurs in the Netherlands around 40 times a year and is usually carried out by the woman’s partner or ex-husband. In an attempt to lower this figure, Gijselaar says the Netherlands could learn from how Scotland tackles the problem: ‘There, men can be arrested sooner if there are warning signs pointing to a risk of femicide. This helps to prevent a number of cases of femicide.’
Gijselaar argues that patterned behaviour should be criminalised. ‘This could include threatening physical violence, psychological violence, making the women financially dependent or manipulation. If police officers pick up such signals, they should act on them. It’s working in Scotland.’ The law in the Netherlands would need to be changed to achieve this. Gijselaar: ‘So, it’s up to politicians in The Hague to take this step. I think it’s impossible to prevent all these cases, but you can limit the risk.
More information?
Read the full article on the site of NOS (in Dutch)
Watch the item broadcast on NOS News (in Dutch)