Greece on Friday toughened penalties for domestic violence in response to a surge in reported cases, although critics said the new legislation did not go far enough and omitted crucial measures aimed at prevention .
During heated debates in parliament, opposition lawmakers said the conservative government, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, had focused too much on punishment. The new law extends pre-trial detention and allows sentences to be suspended only in exceptional cases, while victims will no longer be required to appear in court.
The bill also aims to align Greek law with a 2024 European Union directive aimed at reducing domestic violence. But lawyers, judges and women’s groups have argued that the new legislation is only a piecemeal application of that framework and leaves out preventative measures such as awareness campaigns and better access to legal assistance. .
Before the vote, Ioannis Bougas, the deputy justice minister, rejected this view, saying the bill “deepens the protection framework for victims of domestic violence.” The legislation was finally passed on Friday with 157 votes in the 300-seat Greek Parliament, largely reflecting the government’s majority.
Anna Vouyioukas, an advocacy officer at the Diotima Center, an Athens-based nonprofit that provides support to victims of domestic violence, said the bill was a “missed opportunity.”
“It leaves out, without any justification, provisions aimed at improving the protection of vulnerable groups, including lesbians, the elderly, migrants and the poor,” she added.
Official figures have recently shown a significant increase in reports of domestic violence in Greece. Last year, there were 22,080 cases, almost double the number from the previous year, according to police. Arrests also nearly doubled over the same period, to 13,503.
It remains unclear whether these increases are due to a worsening of an underlying problem or a greater willingness to report cases. The police did not keep specific statistics on domestic violence until 2020 – showing how attitudes have only changed recently and making long-term comparisons difficult.
“It’s a complex phenomenon, it will take years of research to isolate the causes,” said Ms. Vouyioukas of the Diotima Center, citing the lack of data.
A historic moment occurred in 2021 when Mr. Mitsotakis and the country’s president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, expressed support for Sofia Bekatorou, an Olympic sailing champion who accused a top sports official of sexual abuse.
The Greek Union of Judges and Prosecutors called the new law “dangerous” and said it would “become a pretext for further restriction of individual rights.” In a statement released Monday, the union contested a series of provisions, including the fact that the accused could be convicted without being able to question the complainants.
Lawyers also opposed the bill and staged a walkout Thursday and Friday because they believe parts of the legislation — such as extending pretrial detention — violate constitutional protections, including the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.
Clio Papapadoleon, a lawyer who has represented victims of domestic violence, said the focus on incarceration was short-sighted and could have “disastrous” consequences.
“Automatic detention of defendants will make it more difficult for victims to come forward,” she said. “You have to think about the psychology of these people: if someone has three children with their partner, she will think twice before reporting him if she knows he will immediately go to prison.”
Michalis Chrysochoidis, the public order minister, said last month that tackling domestic violence was a national priority. Last year, after a 28-year-old woman was fatally stabbed outside an Athens police station by her former boyfriend, her ministry launched an initiative to open dozens of public shelters for victims of such attacks.
Although the change is moving in the right direction, most government measures have been a response to individual tragedies, Papapadoleon said, adding that the new law should have taken a more holistic approach.
“If it’s after the murder or after the rape, it’s too late,” she said.
