Editorial Ta Nea: Silence means sharing the guilt

Violence against women has no motherland.

It has no colour, religion, or social class.

Yet it has a huge impact on both the victim and society at large when it is tolerated.

Obviously violence against women is a firm indication that something is very much awry I our societies.

Those who have learned to turn a blind eye to avoid confronting phenomena of verbal, bodily, or sexual violence have reconciled themselves with the beast and refuse to confront their own weaknesses.

It took much time and toil for women to find their voice. Yet even in 2020 the meting out of justice for a beating, rape, or murder remains a challenge for any court.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic created an excruciatingly painful situation especially as regards domestic violence.

Due to the lockdown the victims have been forced to be at home with their victimisers all day – every day.

They need not suffer in silence. There are services to which they can turn and social networks that are at their disposal.

In Greece they can call the telephone number 15900 which is a 24-hour helpline.

Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis – the wife of the Greek prime minister – said quite rightly that combating violence against women must become a permanent feature of the social policy of every state.

Yet that is not enough.

In order for the time when we shall no longer need to be reminded about violence against women to come we have a duty to keep a watchful eye on what is going on right next door.

It is behind closed doors that the harshest stories are hidden.

Silence means guilt.

We have all remained silent too long.