Following the Murder in Gelnica, Organisations Present Proposals to the Minister of Justice to Strengthen Protection for Women Experiencing Violence
Bratislava, 28 July 2026 – Representatives of organisations providing specialised support services to women experiencing intimate partner violence and victims of domestic violence met today with the Minister of Justice, Boris Susko, as well as representatives of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, the Presidium of the Police Force of the Slovak Republic, and the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic. The meeting followed a joint public appeal issued by expert organisations after the murder of Ms. Zuzana in Gelnica, which highlighted the urgent need for systemic changes in the protection of women experiencing violence, their children, and other victims of domestic violence.
The purpose of the meeting was to present the organisations‘ proposals and discuss ways to implement them in practice. The organisations stressed the urgent need to strengthen coordination among the police, prosecution service, courts, correctional facilities, and other relevant institutions so that the system can identify risks at an early stage and provide effective protection for women, their children, and other victims of domestic violence.
In their appeal, the organisations call in particular for the introduction of a legal obligation to promptly inform persons at risk when a violent offender is released from pre-trial detention or imprisonment, the systematic assessment of the risk of repeated and severe violence, the strengthening of protective measures, including the effective enforcement of restraining orders and faster decision-making regarding their issuance. The proposals also include ensuring sustainable and stable funding for specialised support services and establishing an effective system of cooperation among all relevant government ministries and institutions.
The organisations also emphasised that protecting women experiencing violence requires a systemic approach based on close inter-institutional cooperation, effective information sharing, and professional risk assessment. Only timely coordination among all relevant actors can prevent tragic outcomes such as the murder in Gelnica.
The organisations providing specialised support services to women experiencing violence and their children reaffirmed their readiness to continue cooperating with the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, and other relevant ministries in the development and implementation of measures that will contribute to more effective protection of women experiencing violence, their children, and victims of domestic violence, and help prevent future killings.