Women’s organisations staged symbolic public protests in 17 towns and cities across Croatia on Monday, titled “While the Minister Sheds Light, Women Remain in the Dark” – a slogan pouring scorn on a comment made by Family and Social Policy Minister Alen Ruzic after a woman’s murder.

The groups’ demands include moving violence against women from the realm of misdemeanours into the criminal justice sphere.

“We demand a specific law against all forms of gender-based violence,” the organisations and initiatives said ahead of the National Day Against Violence Against Women, observed on September 22.

They also called for a unified, mandatory and standardized assessment of the risk of recurring violence and femicide, as well as mandatory specialized training for everyone involved in risk assessment and decisions concerning the protection of women.