According to the head of the Berat court, Durim Hasa, cases of domestic violence in his locality are down due to the Coronavirus lockdown.
In an interview given to the media, he proudly speaks of how only two restraining order requests and one case of violence have been reported since 9 March. This, he sees as a success and he attributed it to “people staying together, becoming friendlier, and more understanding of each other.”
What Mr Hasa fails to realise, despite his supposed many years of experience is the fact that just because it is not being reported, doesn’t mean it is not happening.
The whole of Albania is on lockdown, permission is required 24 hours in advance to leave the house, and from Friday night until Monday morning, no one is allowed outside under any circumstances. Those who violate the curfew have been threatened with high fines and up to 15 years in prison, a punishment reiterated by Prime Minister Edi Rama on a daily basis.
Tell me, how is a beaten and abused woman meant to report her crime? You might say, “well she should pick up the phone and call the police” but this is easier said than done.
In situations of abuse, freedoms are often limited and this frequently extends to controlling mobile devices. Furthermore, the woman may not have the opportunity to make the call in private and she may fear being overheard. Let us not forget that many women are terrified to report domestic violence to the police at all, due to the low rate of arrests, prosecutions, and convictions. Even a court restraining order is no guarantee of safety these days as the number of murders of ‘protected women’ over the last few years show.
You also must consider that women in controlling and abusive situations often have their movement restricted on a daily basis. Before the lockdown, a woman may have been able to escape or go to the police station under the guise of shopping or visiting a family member. With the current restrictions in place, this is not possible. Having to wait for permission and only being able to visit the local shops means women are deprived of the opportunity to report the crimes committed against them.
Additionally, in a time such as this when we are living under unprecedented conditions both socially and economically, women are likely to be out of work and unable to look to move elsewhere. Children are off school, money is tight- they are shackled by the false security of the family home and the idea of leaving is beyond contemplation. They are trapped in abusive situations due to COVID-19 and the immense impact it is having on the economy.
These are just some of the reasons why reports of domestic violence are lower, Mr Hasa. I can assure you that like in the rest of the world, abuse and violence is on the increase. The problem is that these women are fearful of leaving, arrest, sickness, leaving the house, or economic insecurity- these are the things that stand in the way of them going to the police.
But I have another issue with his gleefully delivered statement.
By claiming that this reduction in cases is due to people being “friendlier” and “understanding”, Mr Hasa is implying that women are abused and beaten because they are usually neither of those things.
By attributing fewer instances of violence to this, he is perpetuating a harmful and outdated myth that women bring violence on themselves because they are not agreeable to their husbands. Oh Mr Hasa, if only these troublesome wives were more friendly and understanding all the time, then perhaps you wouldn’t have to file so many pesky restraining orders, right?
In the same vein, by saying that “staying together” is improving the incidence of intimate partner and familial violence he is again pushing harmful rhetoric. This is a way of thinking that has been responsible for countless deaths of women throughout the world- the idea that women should stay at home, stay in abusive situations, just for the sake of staying together.
This notion breeds shame and stigma in society, stops women from speaking out, makes them fear judgement from their peers, and ultimately leads to a continuation and escalation of abuse.
It concerns me greatly that a man with so little understanding of abusive dynamics, domestic violence, and the struggle faced by Albanian women in these situations, is in a position of such judicial power. This role should be held by someone who is logically, intellectually, and morally capable of understanding the complexities of abusive situations. Mr Hasa is not that person.
