‘Every femicide is one too many’: Swiss minister

Baume-Schneider: 'every feminicide is one too many' Keystone-SDA

Emergency measures taken in Switzerland to tackle femicides are not enough, according to government minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.

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Femicides in Switzerland have reached a record level of 22 cases this year.

Unfortunately, even in Switzerland women and children are not safe in a crisis.

Already in June, the authorities reported an alarming number of women and girls killed by men in Switzerland. On Tuesday evening, three more were added. In Corcelles, as a 52-year-old man killed his ex-wife and two daughters.

+ Why counting femicide is a global issue

“Women and children must ask for help, this is fundamental,” Health Minister Baume-Schneider said in an interview with Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

She announced that an emergency number will be available from next year. In addition, a campaign will be launched in November to inform those affected about the possibilities available to them.

The emergency measures taken before the summer are not yet sufficient, Baume-Schneider added. At an extraordinary meeting in June, the federal government, cantons and municipalities had agreed, for example, to close existing gaps in places in reception and emergency centres.

More specialists will be deployed in the area of prevention, and the Federal Council already intends to present the dispatch on the revision of the Federal Act on Assistance to Victims of Crime earlier than planned in the autumn.

However, one law is not enough to combat the phenomenon, the health minister added. Good cooperation between all authorities and access to timely help is necessary.

Meanwhile, around 80 people gathered in silence in Neuchâtel last night to commemorate the woman and her two daughters who were murdered on Tuesday night in Corcelles.

Participants laid flowers and candles in front of the fountain of justice, some carried placards with inscriptions such as “Feminism disturbs, patriarchy kills”.

The demonstration was organised by the Women’s Strike movement, which asked parliamentarians to submit an urgent interpellation calling for further measures to protect against violence.

Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga

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