I am deeply saddened to see Serbia go through one of its most tragic weeks, following another mass shooting with five dead and twenty injured. The events in Zitiste a few days ago brought to light once again three major but often ignored problems – the large scale availability of illicit firearms, its impact on public safety and most specifically its impact on intimate partner and domestic violence.
I am deeply saddened to see Serbia go through one of its most tragic weeks, following another mass shooting with five dead and twenty injured. The events in Zitiste a few days ago brought to light once again three major but often ignored problems – the large scale availability of illicit firearms, its impact on public safety and most specifically its impact on intimate partner and domestic violence.
Irena Vojackova-SolloranoSource: Politika
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(Tanjug, file)
I am deeply saddened to see Serbia go through one of its most tragic weeks, following another mass shooting with five dead and twenty injured. The events in Zitiste a few days ago brought to light once again three major but often ignored problems – the large scale availability of illicit firearms, its impact on public safety and most specifically its impact on intimate partner and domestic violence.
As the rest of the Western Balkans, Serbia is awash with firearms. The authorities estimate that between 200,000 and 900,000 weapons are in illegal possession, a staggering figure. These weapons are cheap and widely available. One of those weapons was used in Zitiste. However, judging by much of the response, few were shocked that someone possesses an assault rifle, even though it is illegal. And here lies the problem.
The widespread availability of small arms and light weapons, their unknown whereabouts, their lethality are a serious threat. Apart from the obvious problem of fueling crime, their uncontrolled proliferation is spreading insecurity to the rest of the continent, with illegal weapons from the region used in terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. Therefore, this threat needs to be taken very seriously.
But this is not the only problem. There is a clear correlation between illicit firearms possession and domestic and intimate partner violence. Data collected by the Women against Violence Network show that in Serbia in 2015 as many as 45 percent of women victims of intimate-partner violence were killed by firearms. According to the Geneva Declaration Secretariat Database for 48 countries for which reliable data were available for the period 2007 - 2012, Serbia was ranked seventeenth by the percentage of female homicides committed with firearms. It is estimated that the presence of firearms increases the likelihood of a lethal outcome for women five to twelve times in comparison to cases were firearms are not involved. Therefore, having a gun in home does not protect women, in practice it poses a risk of a lethal outcome.
Domestic violence is complex phenomena and tailor made measures are needed. Fortunately, there are practices to learn from. For instance, legislative reforms in respect to ownership and licensing undertaken in countries such as Canada and Australia which took into account the specific nature of domestic violence led to sharp decrease in overall homicide rates, and particularly to the decrease in femicide. In Canada, overall homicide rate was reduced 15percent while female homicide rate dropped 45 percent. This clearly shows that there is a strong link between introducing tougher and targeted weapon control measures and the decrease in lethality of the outcome in cases of intimate partner violence.
Getting rid of illicit firearms requires a long-term strategy, full unwavering commitment across political party lines and complex solutions. Legalization and collection campaigns are part of the solution, but for them to be effective, they need to be long lasting, well planned, safe, engaging, innovative and contribute to building trust between the police and citizens. Handing over weapons to the police should be conducted in a safe manner avoiding as much as possible putting citizens and police officers in harm’s way.
As an EU candidate country, Serbia will have to overcome serious hurdles on its path to European Union membership with almost a million illegal firearms. It can only do this if it alters its policies so that they fully recognize the lethal risks that illegal weapons pose not least so in domestic and intimate partner violence cases. The problem at hand cannot be resolved only through repression and enforcement. Instead, it requires a long term commitment and a strong, synchronized social and institutional response. The United Nations stands ready to support the Government in implementing these changes.
Irena Vojackova-Sollorano is UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Serbia
As for Canada, it is a criminal nation since its inception. Their foundation is based on racism and conquering two peoples; First Peoples and the French. They coerced the kidnapping of native children, abused them, malnourished them to conduct medical tests, beat them, killed them and buried them next to the residential schools that were indoctrinating them to lose their culture and language. How many 20th century EU elementary schools bury the children they killed next to the indoctrination school?
She has no idea that Canada is a police state. She is ignorant to the fact that there are no rights in Canada, since those fake written rights are overruled by the government with its "Notwithstanding" clause that is placed within the same constitutional document.
Canadian police used these new gun laws to threaten suicide onto the gun owner.
She has no idea that just the word “conservative” has completely different meanings between the U.S. and Canada. U.S. conservatives want to conserve their human rights based U.S. Constitution. Canadian conservatives want to conserve racism and subjugation; such as, Harper forbidding Muslim women to wear a niqab at a swearing in citizenship ceremony, even after they are identified by government officials prior to the ceremony.
My advice to her is leave the Serbs alone. Do not infringe on their freedom. Warriors have stated they are willing to fight again. Do not fan the Canadian police state.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:46)
To be more specific about EU attempts of religious suppression, Serbs are original Christians. Jesus clearly emphasized the importance of security precaution that he told his followers to sell their cloak if need be in order to purchase a sword: Luke 22:35-36. Jesus gave the people freedom.
Serbs, as victims, know the importance of being armed. The EU, NATO and United Nations have yet to be punished for their crimes against ethnic Serbs, and others, in four Serb republics. When the guilty and occupying nations attempt to take personal weapons, even fully automatic rifles, via their hairy cheese eating, treasonous, western puppets, how much more anger do you think it will create? That's something that will benefit NATO paycheque collectors. Even Boris Yeltzin's 1994 foreign minister was a treasonous Slav.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:42)
Why does she not mention hand grenades and land mines that Serbs possess?
The USA have the most guns per capita than any other nation on earth. Serbia (the one that NATO removed Kosovo from) is second to the U.S. in regards to guns per capita than any other nation on earth.
In the U.S., the Bill of Rights' First Amendments grants Christians the right to keep and bear arms. It specifically forbids writing laws that would deny anyone their religious practise. The Second Amendment grants EVERYONE in the U.S. the right to keep and bear arms to maintain security and to specifically over through a tyrannical government. Read the Federalist papers if you do not understand, for those are the constitutional period papers documenting the arguments during its drafting.
Why am I mentioning all this?
For the first time since 1389, Kosovo was on the verge of a holy war, last year. Does she think warriors will hand in their weapons to a government that commits treason year after year? Foreigners have conquered Serb lands because the people lacked weapons. Those monuments are still standing, even the tower of Serb skulls. She and the EU is just building more and more anger among Serbs. Weapons are never at fault for domestic abuse. The man or woman's software is the problem. So stop attempting to remove computer peripherals. It is religious suppression.
That's from society's experience.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:41)
To be more specific about EU attempts of religious suppression, Serbs are original Christians. Jesus clearly emphasized the importance of security precaution that he told his followers to sell their cloak if need be in order to purchase a sword: Luke 22:35-36. Jesus gave the people freedom.
Serbs, as victims, know the importance of being armed. The EU, NATO and United Nations have yet to be punished for their crimes against ethnic Serbs, and others, in four Serb republics. When the guilty and occupying nations attempt to take personal weapons, even fully automatic rifles, via their hairy cheese eating, treasonous, western puppets, how much more anger do you think it will create? That's something that will benefit NATO paycheque collectors. Even Boris Yeltzin's 1994 foreign minister was a treasonous Slav.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:42)
Why does she not mention hand grenades and land mines that Serbs possess?
The USA have the most guns per capita than any other nation on earth. Serbia (the one that NATO removed Kosovo from) is second to the U.S. in regards to guns per capita than any other nation on earth.
In the U.S., the Bill of Rights' First Amendments grants Christians the right to keep and bear arms. It specifically forbids writing laws that would deny anyone their religious practise. The Second Amendment grants EVERYONE in the U.S. the right to keep and bear arms to maintain security and to specifically over through a tyrannical government. Read the Federalist papers if you do not understand, for those are the constitutional period papers documenting the arguments during its drafting.
Why am I mentioning all this?
For the first time since 1389, Kosovo was on the verge of a holy war, last year. Does she think warriors will hand in their weapons to a government that commits treason year after year? Foreigners have conquered Serb lands because the people lacked weapons. Those monuments are still standing, even the tower of Serb skulls. She and the EU is just building more and more anger among Serbs. Weapons are never at fault for domestic abuse. The man or woman's software is the problem. So stop attempting to remove computer peripherals. It is religious suppression.
That's from society's experience.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:41)
As for Canada, it is a criminal nation since its inception. Their foundation is based on racism and conquering two peoples; First Peoples and the French. They coerced the kidnapping of native children, abused them, malnourished them to conduct medical tests, beat them, killed them and buried them next to the residential schools that were indoctrinating them to lose their culture and language. How many 20th century EU elementary schools bury the children they killed next to the indoctrination school?
She has no idea that Canada is a police state. She is ignorant to the fact that there are no rights in Canada, since those fake written rights are overruled by the government with its "Notwithstanding" clause that is placed within the same constitutional document.
Canadian police used these new gun laws to threaten suicide onto the gun owner.
She has no idea that just the word “conservative” has completely different meanings between the U.S. and Canada. U.S. conservatives want to conserve their human rights based U.S. Constitution. Canadian conservatives want to conserve racism and subjugation; such as, Harper forbidding Muslim women to wear a niqab at a swearing in citizenship ceremony, even after they are identified by government officials prior to the ceremony.
My advice to her is leave the Serbs alone. Do not infringe on their freedom. Warriors have stated they are willing to fight again. Do not fan the Canadian police state.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:46)
To be more specific about EU attempts of religious suppression, Serbs are original Christians. Jesus clearly emphasized the importance of security precaution that he told his followers to sell their cloak if need be in order to purchase a sword: Luke 22:35-36. Jesus gave the people freedom.
Serbs, as victims, know the importance of being armed. The EU, NATO and United Nations have yet to be punished for their crimes against ethnic Serbs, and others, in four Serb republics. When the guilty and occupying nations attempt to take personal weapons, even fully automatic rifles, via their hairy cheese eating, treasonous, western puppets, how much more anger do you think it will create? That's something that will benefit NATO paycheque collectors. Even Boris Yeltzin's 1994 foreign minister was a treasonous Slav.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:42)
As for Canada, it is a criminal nation since its inception. Their foundation is based on racism and conquering two peoples; First Peoples and the French. They coerced the kidnapping of native children, abused them, malnourished them to conduct medical tests, beat them, killed them and buried them next to the residential schools that were indoctrinating them to lose their culture and language. How many 20th century EU elementary schools bury the children they killed next to the indoctrination school?
She has no idea that Canada is a police state. She is ignorant to the fact that there are no rights in Canada, since those fake written rights are overruled by the government with its "Notwithstanding" clause that is placed within the same constitutional document.
Canadian police used these new gun laws to threaten suicide onto the gun owner.
She has no idea that just the word “conservative” has completely different meanings between the U.S. and Canada. U.S. conservatives want to conserve their human rights based U.S. Constitution. Canadian conservatives want to conserve racism and subjugation; such as, Harper forbidding Muslim women to wear a niqab at a swearing in citizenship ceremony, even after they are identified by government officials prior to the ceremony.
My advice to her is leave the Serbs alone. Do not infringe on their freedom. Warriors have stated they are willing to fight again. Do not fan the Canadian police state.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:46)
Why does she not mention hand grenades and land mines that Serbs possess?
The USA have the most guns per capita than any other nation on earth. Serbia (the one that NATO removed Kosovo from) is second to the U.S. in regards to guns per capita than any other nation on earth.
In the U.S., the Bill of Rights' First Amendments grants Christians the right to keep and bear arms. It specifically forbids writing laws that would deny anyone their religious practise. The Second Amendment grants EVERYONE in the U.S. the right to keep and bear arms to maintain security and to specifically over through a tyrannical government. Read the Federalist papers if you do not understand, for those are the constitutional period papers documenting the arguments during its drafting.
Why am I mentioning all this?
For the first time since 1389, Kosovo was on the verge of a holy war, last year. Does she think warriors will hand in their weapons to a government that commits treason year after year? Foreigners have conquered Serb lands because the people lacked weapons. Those monuments are still standing, even the tower of Serb skulls. She and the EU is just building more and more anger among Serbs. Weapons are never at fault for domestic abuse. The man or woman's software is the problem. So stop attempting to remove computer peripherals. It is religious suppression.
That's from society's experience.
(Slavko, 16 July 2016 04:41)