A man who was in custody for an attack on his wife in February was released after a court decision. Only eleven days later he murdered her. According to available information, the state did not warn the woman before his release.
The Corps of Prison and Judicial Guards stated that the victim must request the information himself. In this case, he did not register such a request, and therefore did not inform Zuzana V. about her husband’s dismissal. By default, only courts or law enforcement authorities are notified of dismissal.
The system is set up incorrectly
Barbora Burajová, an expert on violence against women, told Denník N that the system set up in this way transfers responsibility to the victims. “It’s not automatic, the victim has to ask for information. But they often don’t know that they have such an option, or they no longer have the strength to ask for additional protection,” she said.
At the same time, Zuzana V. made it clear after the previous attack that she was afraid of her husband and asked for protection. The court rejected her proposal for a restraining order.
According to Burajová, the state should have proceeded more actively and notified the victim of the release of the aggressor, or taken other protective measures. “It turns out that the system cannot protect the victims even in cases known to the authorities,” she added.
