LocationsAn expert meeting was held to discuss the issue of coercive control in the context of domestic and partner - relationship violence
Recognising the Subtle Forms of Violence Against Women
November 27, 2024
Belgrade, November 27, 2024 – In an effort to support the continuous education of employees in institutions responsible for supporting women in situations of violence, the Judicial Academy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised an expert meeting titled "Life in a Cage without Bars – Institutional Response to the Phenomenon of Coercive Control in Family and Partner Relationships". The event was attended by judges, prosecutors leading multi-agency coordination and cooperation groups dealing with domestic violence cases, representatives of social welfare centres and police officers.
Nenad Vujić, Director of the Judicial Academy, opened the meeting by stating that the fight against violence against women and domestic violence requires a systematic and proactive approach of all representatives of the relevant institutions and civil society organisations. "After 20 years of legislative and institutional work in this field, progress has been made, but we must continue to work towards our goal – zero tolerance of violence against women and domestic violence. In this regard, prevention, effective action and appropriate repression measures are equally important. The Judicial Academy remains committed and open to joint training sessions for all professionals dealing with the issue of violence against women", said Vujić. He added that the symbolic title of the seminar "Life in a Cage without Bars" emphasises the need to recognise, not only overt, but also subtle manipulation by perpetrators, which can have fatal consequences for women.
Coercive control is a form of violence that involves limiting the victim's social contacts, tracking their movements, controlling their daily activities and managing every aspect of their lives. Experiences in prosecuting coercion and in identifying, proving and dealing with cases of this type of violence were presented by experts from Scotland, where coercion has been a distinct criminal offence for five years – Dr Emma Forbes, National Procurator Fiscal for Domestic Abuse at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service , and Dr Milena Tripković, Lecturer in Criminology at the Edinburgh Law School and Associate Director for Internationalisation of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) .
"I believe that the insights from this seminar will make it easier for employees in institutions that deal with cases of domestic violence to recognise and prosecute cases of coercion. To raise public awareness that jealousy is not love, and to help girls and women to recognise, as well as resist coercive control in time, our annual campaign 'ItIsMyBussiness' is also dedicated to this important issue", said Fabrizio Andreuzzi, UNDP Resident Representative ad interim. He emphasised that UNDP will continue to work with institutions, civil society and the media to create a society in which women and girls are safe, respected and can lead a life free from fear and violence.
Fabrizio Andreuzzi, UNDP Resident Representative ad interim
Research shows that coercive control has far-reaching psychological consequences for the victim and poses a significant risk of escalating violence. Controlling partners often continue the abuse even after separation and use children to keep the victim feeling unsafe. Such behaviour is sometimes misinterpreted as jealousy, but can escalate into much more serious and dangerous forms of violence, including those with fatal outcomes. UNDP’s analysis of femicide cases involving firearms found that in two-thirds of cases where women were killed by firearms, the perpetrator exhibited jealousy, and a study on femicides followed by suicide of the perpetrator show that in 81% of cases, the perpetrators had exhibited controlling behaviour towards their partners prior to the murder.
"Cases of domestic and partner violence are always gendered and linked with a complex dynamic of power and control. To understand and respond appropriately to gender-based violence, we need to understand gender stereotypes about the roles of women and men in society. Gender biases are pervasive and affect every individual, thus influencing the work of institutions responsible for law enforcement and victim protection. Therefore, it is crucial for professionals who are expected to implement the law impartially to be aware of gender, gender stereotypes and attitudes", emphasised Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality.
Sandra Perić, Director of the Serbian Social Protection Chamber, thanked the Judicial Academy and UNDP for their partnership and especially all professionals and media representatives who are committed to combating violence against women and domestic violence. "As experts and professionals, we need to step out of our 'own cages' behind 'bars' of prejudice, ignorance, insecurity or fear. A lot has changed in the social protection system over the last 20 years. To meet the challenges, we need more people and we need to work together as a system to protect victims. It is important that we are willing to continue to learn and I believe that this event will be of great importance for everyone", said Perić.
Meeting participantsalso had the opportunity to hear expert lectures by Dr Anita Lauri Korajlija, professor at the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Zagreb, and Dr Tanja Ignjatović, psychologist and expert from the Autonomous Women's Centre. Dr Lauri Korajlija spoke about the phenomenon of coercive control in her lecture "Life in a Cage without Bars – Coercive Control and what’s love got to do with it", while Dr Ignjatović discussed the abuse of children to control current and former partners.
Dr. Tanja Ignjatović & prof. dr. Anita Lauri Korajlija
This event was organised as part of the global campaign "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence" as part of the project " Ending violence – Empowering change". The initiative is jointly implemented by UN organisations in Serbia: UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and with the support of the Government of Sweden.
