Murder of a Chechen young woman refreshes problem of domestic violence in Southern Russia

In Northern Caucasus, violence of a spouse remains the main source of threat for women. The problem of domestic violence in the region is aggravated by the situation of women in society and in families when victims traditionally avoid seeking outside help. This was stated by rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" in connection with a brutal murder of a Chechen young woman in Khasavyurt.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in March 2018, a Chechen young woman was killed in Khasavyurt. A 25-year-old local resident was detained on suspicion of murder.

In Northern Caucasus, victims of domestic violence extremely rarely address specialized psychological and legal assistance centres, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by rights defender Aida Mirmaksumova, the head of the project "Fathers and Daughters".

"Nobody collects official statistics concerning victims of domestic violence. And not every woman appeals to us. Very often we learn about cases of domestic violence from advocates, psychologists, acquaintances or from social network users," the rights defender noted. She has also added that they are mostly addressed from Dagestan and "very rarely from other regions of Northern Caucasus."

Victims of violence, who decide to appeal to the law enforcement bodies, experience enormous pressure, including from the community, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has been informed by advocate Akhmed Elmurzaev, who works with psychological support centres for women.

"In Northern Caucasus, in particular, the problem is aggravated by the situation of women in society and in families where a woman will from time to time tolerate violence from a man, ... since her relatives will generally advise her to tolerate violence, despite everything," notes the advocate.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.