The First Femicide Case from Georgia sent to the UN Committee on Elimination of Women Discrimination

GYLA, in collaboration with the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC), on September 5, 2017, filed a femicide case with the UN Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The case relates to the inaction of the State to avoid the femicide (murder of a woman on gender grounds) and inadequate investigation of the crime that constitutes a systemic problem of discrimination against women in Georgia.

B. DZ. remained in an unregistered marriage with O.SH. since 2004 and lived in Rustavi City. As O.SH. on a regular basis assaulted the spouse physically and psychologically, B.DZ. moved with her children to live separately in September 2013. O.SH continued physical and psychological violence over his spouse, which resulted in the murder of B.DZ on March 6, 2014.

Prior to the death, B.DZ. had referred to the police four times (the last reference was recorded 4 days before the murder) and demanded protection from the abuser. In spite of this, the police and the Prosecutor's Office did not take any actions envisaged in the law to protect the life of B.DZ. O.SH was convicted of a premeditated murder (Article 108 of the CCG) and sentenced to a minimum sentence stipulated in the above Article (7 years and 6 months of imprisonment).

GYLA asserts in the CEDAW that the State has committed discrimination against B.DZ., as it: a) failed to protect B.DZ’s life; b) failed to protect B. DZ against inhumane treatment; c) failed to investigate the murder of B.DZ as a gender crime; d) failed to eradicate deeply established gender stereotypes and subordination, which played the major factor in the murder of B.DZ.

This case is GYLA’s first communication on the femicide which CEDAW will consider in respect of Georgia.