In recent weeks, the number of female victims of domestic violence has increased, according to data released by human rights organizations in the country.
Observers attribute the increase in violence to a lack of legal accountability and a failure to examine discriminatory social and cultural heritage, saying these factors have led to an alarming escalation in the killings of women in Lebanon. , most of which fall under the pretext of “honour crimes” or “material difficulties”.
This report examines the phenomenon from a sociological point of view, and highlights the psychological impact suffered by the children of the victims.
Who will stop the brutal series?
9 shots killed the two victims, Sahar and her mother, Therese, in Jezzine, southern Lebanon, last week. From the first moment news of the crime broke, the phrase “economic hardship” was in the headlines.
Both women were shot by Sahar’s husband, Rabih Francis (a member of Lebanese state security) inside their home before he shot himself in the head.
Jezzine’s crime comes less than two weeks after Ragia Al-Akoum was run over by her husband in the town of Bsaba (Chouf district), and five days after their divorce. A month before another crime, the murder of a woman from the Zuaiter family.
The murders of women in Lebanon escalated alarmingly, as if forms of violence and chaos found an organized place for them in the Land of Cedars, until the stories of murders of women and family murders became almost a fleeting event.
ascending rhythm
According to the World Bank’s index, domestic crimes have increased in Lebanon and the rate of femicide in the Middle East has increased significantly, despite the fact that femicide rates around the world have been declining since the 1990s.
Sociology explains the motivations
Adiba Hamdan, professor of social sciences at the Lebanese University, said in an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia: “In light of the absence of justice and equality, and following the stormy economic crises in Lebanon, the culture of murder has deepened and violent crimes against the family as a whole in general and women in particular have spread.”
Hamdan continued: “There is no doubt that we live in a traditional, somewhat Eastern society, which means that the issue of domestic violence is seen to some extent as legitimate in these traditions in terms of the authority of the family. and authority to beat the woman. under the pretext of honor killing.
She added: “We are in a social environment that allows domestic violence, and even reinforces it, and we are seeing a remarkable increase in it, and that is the best proof.”
the reasons
Hamdan attributed the reasons for the growth of family crime to economic pressures and what she described as the prevailing moral chaos and lack of law enforcement and justice, which encouraged this type of crime among members of the same family in Lebanese society.
Hamdan called for “ensuring a healthy social, cultural and economic environment”, noting that “solutions begin with economic stability and the return of social security”.
Lawyer Laila Awada, legal services coordinator for Enough Violence and Exploitation, told Sky News Arabia: “With Sahar and her mother Therese, the number of women killed by their husbands or family members has reached 9 in the last few months. .
Awada revealed the gravity and brutality of the crimes, saying:
Rabih Francis (the killer of his wife and mother) did not just end his life, but rather took the decision to end the life of his wife and mother and leave his children without father or mother. in sectarian countries are the reason. These laws gave the man absolute power within the family, and made him feel that he was the owner of the family and that he had the right to women within the family. family, the criminal bases his crime on his sense of ownership and power over the woman, which stems from sectarian personal status laws that condone crimes of violence against women and their murder.
What about the solution?
Awada thinks the solution lies in several variables:
Do not adopt these laws which establish the authority of men over women and control their fate. Serious and effective implementation of the law on domestic violence.
Are the crimes restricted to a particular religion?
Psychotherapist Paula Al-Khatib told Sky News Arabia that “honour killings” are not linked to specific religions or religious practices, as they have been recorded in different societies and cultures.
She adds: “These crimes are often considered a collective act decided by the family or the clan, and are motivated by certain cultural norms related to actions described as “honorable” rather than by individual choices or desires.
Al-Khatib concludes: “It is natural that the economic crisis affects crimes in general, and family crimes in particular. In cases of poverty, the interests of individuals become limited, unemployment spreads, and social interaction and contact between people increases, thus increasing the risk of crimes.”
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