Ombudsman: The gravest fact of the murder of a 14-year-old girl is shocking - steps taken by the state in cases of early marriage and femicide are insufficient

The steps taken by the state in the cases of early marriage and femicide are insufficient and require systematic and coordinated work at both the central and local levels, Public Defender of Georgia Levan Ioseliani has issued a statement, responding to the murder of a 14-year-old girl by her husband in Sagarejo municipality.

As noted in the statement, there should be timely and effective involvement and response of all relevant agencies in the cases of murder, attempted murder and child marriage, including the implementation of a strict policy on cases of non-reporting of crimes.

"The gravest fact of the murder of a 14-year-old girl is shocking, and the information spread about her illegal confinement and forced marriage at the age of childhood before this tragic fact is alarming.

Despite the high rate of investigations into the facts of possible early marriages, the detection and redirection of both child marriage cases and alleged forced marriages remains a problem in the country. The awareness of persons responsible for referrals regarding the procedures for detecting child marriage indicators and their obligations is critically low.

The steps taken by the state in cases of early marriage and femicide are insufficient and require systematic and coordinated work at both the central and local levels.

Unfortunately, despite the call of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the state has not strengthened its work against gender-based violence in regions where gender norms and stereotypes are particularly strong.

The Public Defender of Georgia will study cases of murder and attempted murder of women, cases of child marriage, and considers it important to take immediate steps in response to existing challenges. In particular, there should be a timely and effective involvement and response of all relevant agencies, including a strict policy on cases of non-reporting of crimes. Also, it is important for the state to study the facts of possible violations of the referral procedures by the responsible persons," the statement reads.