Sarajevo, December 4, 2024 – An international scientific and expert conference titled “Femicide as a Distinct Criminal Offense in the Criminal Code of FBiH” was held with the aim of providing scholarly and expert insights into the necessity and significance of introducing femicide as a distinct form of criminal offense.

The conference was organized as part of the campaign "We Won’t Die in Silence" and the project "FOR Better Protection of Women from Violence in FBiH," implemented by the organizations Glas žene Bihać, Ženska vizija Tuzla, Tim volim život Cazin, and Izvor Sanski Most, with the support of the TPO Foundation from Sarajevo.

The event featured two panels, bringing together academics specializing in criminal law and sociology, legal practitioners with years of judicial experience (judges, lawyers), experienced inspectors and forensic psychology experts, as well as representatives of government institutions.

Panel Discussions and Key Insights
Panel 1: “Gender-Based Killing of Women as a Distinct Criminal Offense in Legislation and Judicial Practice”
Participants included Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Maršavelski from the Criminal Law Department at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, retired judge Branka Mašić Žigate from the Center for Education of Judges and Prosecutors of BiH, and Dr. Zlatana Hrnčić, a sociologist. They presented a comprehensive picture of the societal issue of femicide in BiH. Discussions led to the conclusion that intervention in the Criminal Code of FBiH is essential.

Prof. Dr. Maršavelski emphasized that the proposed amendments to the Criminal Code of FBiH, submitted by Glas žene Bihać, provide a high-quality legal response to all forms of femicide in society.

Panel 2: “Gender-Based Killing of Women – Practical Challenges, Justification, and Necessity for Introducing it as a Distinct Criminal Offense in the Criminal Code of FBiH”
Panelists included Dr. Sandi Dizdarević, an expert in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Interview Techniques; Dr. Amila Mujčinović, a lawyer from Sarajevo; and Dr. Alma Kratina, Chair of the Gender Equality Commission of the FBiH Parliament. They highlighted that the process of proving femicide is not particularly complex or different from other criminal offenses.

The panel stressed the importance of specialized training for judges, prosecutors, and lawyers to strengthen their capacities, especially if amendments to the Criminal Code are enacted to include femicide as a distinct offense.

Conclusion and Next Steps
Neira Raković, Project Coordinator, emphasized:
"Today, scholars and experts highlighted that femicide is alarmingly widespread in BiH, underscoring the urgent need for legal regulation. Currently, there are no court rulings for femicide in our judicial system. Encouragingly, experts stated that femicide is not a difficult crime to prove; rather, there is a need for system-wide education to enhance capacities for prosecuting this new criminal offense, as it represents a novel legal concept."

For more information about the campaign and project, visit our Facebook page Glas žene Bihać.