Domestic abuse is a major problem in North Macedonia, as victims are often afraid to come forward.
Domestic abuse is a major problem in North Macedonia, as victims are often afraid to come forward.
TETOVO, North, Macedonia — Ana Brnjarchevska
A beaten wife was refused help by the police because her abusive husband had COVID-19. Authorities would only warn him about his behavior over the phone.
The incident took place in the North Macedonian town of Tetovo on Nov. 17.
The woman, identified only as N.N., was allegedly attacked by her husband for suggesting he self-isolate after developing severe COVID-19 symptoms and testing positive for the virus.
When the victim reported the incident to the police, she was told they could not confront her husband, since they lacked the necessary protective equipment.
Instead, officers set up a phone call to warn the man remotely.
The case has now been brought before the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association, an organization that helps victims of domestic or gender-based abuse.
The association has assigned a lawyer to the victim to assist her in the legal process.
“The failure to provide necessary assistance to vulnerable victims, when their health and that of their children are endangered, is inadmissible and incorrect,” association spokesperson Vesna Dishlijovska told Zenger News. “The victim is now protected, and the case has been left to the government institution for further investigation,” said Dishlijovska.
The man was intoxicated at the time of the incident and the couple’s two underage children witnessed the event, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
This was not the first instance of domestic abuse in the home. The alcoholic husband had been involved in numerous attacks, including one earlier this month, said the ministry.
At the time, he reportedly made death threats to his wife and children.
Dishlijovska said domestic-abuse cases are being reported less during the pandemic because victims don’t have the opportunity to ask for help. Their attackers are often nearby virtually the whole time.
In addition, many are too scared to ask for help, since they are financially dependent on the abusive partner. Often, women just call for advice, but do not feel ready to report the violence, said Dishlijovska.
She added that most victims who contact the organization are between 30 and 45.
Violence against women in the Republic of North Macedonia is considered its most common form of human-rights violation. A major problem in the country is the lack of systematic follow-up by health and social institutions. Women also fear retribution, both for domestic violence and sexual harassment, if the abuse is reported.
Separately, North Macedonia has 55,127 cases of Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The republic is a multiethnic, multireligious and multilingual state. It was part of the former Yugoslavia that gained its independence in 1991.
(Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew Hall)
(Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew B Hall)
