The domestic violence pandemic that saw mother killed in front of daughter

In February 2024, 23-year-old  pregnant mother Teodora Marcu was changeable dormant successful beforehand of her three-year aged girl and different children connected a thoroughfare successful Romania by her ex-partner.

The killer, 49-year-old Robert Lupu, had a documented history of abuse: Marcu had revenge aggregate complaints against him. She died connected nan sidewalk, unsocial and unheard, though she had “screamed” astir nan problem successful vain for months.

Marcu’s communicative is not an exception—it is simply a sadistic reminder of a situation that knows nary borders.

Across Europe, home unit continues to declare lives and ruin futures. Despite years of consciousness campaigns, legislative efforts, and protestation movements, caller information show that home unit remains stubbornly pervasive - and successful immoderate countries, it's getting worse and cases – overmuch much brutal.

Germany: a grim milestone

In Germany, caller figures released successful June 2024 by nan Federal Criminal Police Office people a disturbing high: 256,276 group were victims of home unit past year, a 6.5% summation from 2022. Of those, 70.5% were women, and successful cases of friendly partner violence, astir 4 retired of 5 victims were female. Most chillingly: 155 women were killed by their existent aliases erstwhile partners successful 2023.

Despite Germany’s beardown ineligible frameworks, nan information awesome systemic failure. “The rising numbers mean much women are stepping forward,” said a spokesperson from a Berlin-based situation centre. “But it besides intends we’re not stopping nan violence. We’re only counting it.”

Greece: precocious numbers, precocious stakes

In Greece, constabulary information for 2023 show nan number of home unit incidents remained astir unchanged from 2022—but still double nan fig recorded successful 2020. Of nan 9,886 women who contacted police, nan immense mostly were successful relationships pinch their abuser. 59.6% of incidents occurred wrong romanticist partnerships, 29.7% of perpetrators were spouses, and 13.8% were live-in partners.

Greece besides saw 12 femicides, astir committed by a antheral family member. A integer “panic button” app was rolled retired successful 2023 to thief women discreetly alert constabulary during convulsive episodes. In 2024, nan app was expanded nationwide and opened to antheral victims. Whether constabulary consequence times and follow-through lucifer nan urgency remains an unfastened question.

Portugal: a surge successful calls for help

In Portugal, home unit is besides connected nan rise, astatine slightest successful position of awareness. From 2021 to 2024, nan number of victims seeking thief from nan Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) jumped by 29.3%, totalling 43,110 cases. Experts property nan summation to greater media sum of violence—particularly warfare and conflict—and nan lingering effects of pandemic lockdowns, which intensified home tensions and isolated victims.

“People are much alert of maltreatment now,” an APAV counsellor explained. “But there’s still a agelong measurement to spell earlier they consciousness afloat protected.”

Spain: less reports, much convictions

Spain presents a analyzable picture. In 2024, 34,684 women were registered arsenic victims of home aliases gender-based violence—a 5.2% alteration from nan erstwhile year. Yet paradoxically, nan number of convicted abusers surged to 39,056, nan highest fig since 2015.

Relationships betwixt victims and abusers were varied: 39.9% were partners aliases ex-partners, 37.8% were (ex-)girlfriends, 21.4% were (ex-)spouses.

Spain’s specialized gender unit courts and longstanding defense movements whitethorn relationship for nan summation successful convictions. But activists pass that less reported cases do not needfully mean little violence—just less women speaking up.

Bulgaria: protest, not progress

In Bulgaria, home unit remains an underreported and poorly addressed issue. A 2023 lawsuit shocked nan federation erstwhile an 18-year-old female named Débora was stabbed pinch a razor leaf by her ex-boyfriend. She survived, but ended up pinch 400 stitches and her agelong hairsbreadth was shaved.

The lawsuit triggered wide protests and renewed calls for legislative reform. Bulgaria’s laws person agelong excluded protections for victims not surviving pinch their abuser, and 12 of nan country’s regions deficiency immoderate situation shelter.

Activists constituent to nan country’s nonaccomplishment to ratify nan Istanbul Convention, an world pact designed to combat unit against women, arsenic a guidelines origin of systemic neglect.

“The laws are written for a type of maltreatment that hardly reflects existent life,” said 1 protester successful Sofia. “We are burying women each twelvemonth while politicians statement definitions.”

Despite differing ineligible frameworks and nationalist responses, nan through-line is clear: home unit successful Europe remains a persistent, deadly epidemic. While consciousness and reporting are improving successful immoderate nations, gaps successful rule enforcement, ineligible protections, and subsister support proceed to put lives astatine risk.

Debora from Bulgaria is “lucky” because she’s alive. But for 2 years now she has been forced to look her violator successful court, arsenic nan lawsuit is not yet closed. He was moreover released for a while, earlier being rearrested.

Teodora Marcu from Romania is dead. And while location are still protests, dozens of women and men are still being abused by their partners connected a regular basis. Some for illustration to stay silent, others outcry astir it, yet immoderate proceed to extremity up arsenic victims.