The need to protect children and prevent social stigmatization was highlighted by criminologist and sociologist Dimitra Tsitsi during an interview on Politis Radio 107.6 and 97.6 and the programme Second Look following the latest tragedy to shock Cyprus. The couple involved have four children.
Minor victims need protection and support, not social stigma, she said.
“In every case, children are not responsible for their parents’ actions,” the criminologist stressed while commenting on the consequences of the attempted femicide in Limassol. Four children have effectively been left without a father, she said, as the perpetrator took his own life, while their mother continues to fight for her life.
Tsitsi focused particularly on the impact such tragedies have on the children of the families involved. As she noted, Cypriot society often ends up stigmatizing children because of the actions of their parents, something she described as especially dangerous. Referring specifically to the family's minor children, she pointed out that they continue to attend school and that society has a duty to stand by them.
Asked how parents should discuss such tragedies with their own children, Tsitsi said that children are capable of understanding that something serious has happened. However, adults have a responsibility to explain events in a way that is understandable without frightening them or reinforcing their fears. She also stressed that parents should encourage children to express their fears and to say “no” whenever they feel unsafe.
Not an isolated incident
The latest attempted femicide is not an isolated incident of violence against women but another tragic reminder that gender-based violence remains one of the most extreme manifestations of historically unequal power relations between women and men, Gender Equality Commissioner Josie Christodoulou said in a written statement.
“It highlights in the clearest possible way that perceptions of control, domination and ownership over women continue to exist and, in their most extreme form, lead to attempted femicides and femicides,” Christodoulou said.
She underlined that “women are not anyone’s property nor objects to be controlled. They are equal members of society and should not have to fear for their lives.”
“Gender-based violence is not a private matter or a ‘family issue’. It is a serious violation of women’s human rights and a blow to society and democracy,” the Gender Equality Commissioner stressed.
“It concerns all of us. Every time a woman is at risk because she is a woman, effective prevention and protection are essential,” she added.
In such cases, she noted, public discourse “must remain within a framework of respect and sensitivity”.
“I express my support for the woman who is fighting for her life and for her loved ones. All our thoughts are with her, and we hope she emerges victorious from this battle,” Christodoulou concluded.
