Ombudsman's Report: 22 Women Killed in Georgia in 2018

22 women were killed and 18 cases of attempted killing of women took place in Georgia last year, Georgia’s Public Defender Nino Lomjaria wrote in her report.

More specifically, according to the report, 22 facts of murders of women were revealed in 2018, seven of which counted as domestic crimes. In the same year, 18 cases of attempted murder of women were revealed, of which 10 were related to the attempted murder of women by their husbands.

The Ombudsman’s study revealed that domestic violence has a severe impact on low income or non-income women, women without education, single women, conflict-affected women, elderly persons and women whose partners / former partners work in law enforcement agencies and/or armed forces.

In 2018, 205 restraining and 130 defensive orders were issued following violence against women. According to the information provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, in 2018, under Article 151 of the Criminal Code, which envisages stalking, investigation was launched into 126 criminal cases.

Lomjaria’s study revealed that the absence of special interrogation rules for the victims of violence still remains a problem. In addition, the report says there are frequent cases when domestic violence victims highlight they have also been victim of insulting and mocking comments from the police.

By Thea Morrison