Under the title „Not One More” a protest organized by several non-governmental organizations will be held in Skopje tonight. The reason is the murder of a 31-year-old woman from Veles, BTA reports.
Late on Monday evening, the Ministry of Interior announced that the bodies of the young woman and her father were found in a home in Veles, as well as a man with serious injuries, who later died. According to the police, the perpetrator is the woman's former partner, who committed suicide after the crime.
It became clear that the victim had repeatedly filed complaints against him for threats, and only days before the murder she gave testimony to the prosecutor's office, local media reported.
Protest against the institutional „collapse“
The organizers of the protest, which will start in front of the Ministry of Interior building, say that the case is yet another example of „collapse of the system that allows continuous violence against women“. Their appeal states that people should take to the streets, „where the abusers walk freely and prosper while women fear for their lives“.
The protest march will continue to the „Woman Fighter“ park, where a blockade of the boulevard is planned.
Political repercussions
The case quickly became part of the political debate. The opposition SDSM demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Pance Toshkovski. The ruling VMRO-DPMNE responded that the opposition was using the tragedy for political purposes and accused the SDSM-appointed prosecutors and judges for not detaining the perpetrator.
Minister Toshkovski stated that the Ministry of Interior had acted in accordance with its legal obligations, emphasizing that only the prosecutor's office can propose, and the court can impose, a preventive measure.
Calls for action
The Women's Club in Parliament and the green party DOM also reacted with positions, calling on institutions to consistently implement the law and provide timely protection against violence against women.