As this Saturday we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the President of the European Parliament opened the Plenary Session saying that we must recommit ourselves to do everything possible to prevent violence against women and girls in Europe and beyond.
Dear colleagues,
Nine days ago, 22-year-old biomedical engineering student Giulia Cecchettin was reported missing. Last Saturday, her lifeless body was found butchered near Lake Barcis in the North East of Italy.
Giulia Cecchettin, Ashling Murphy, Bernice Cassar, Paulina Dembska, and many, many more.
They are some of the many examples of abuse and murder of women in Europe, simply for being women. It is appalling. It is terrible. And it is completely unacceptable.
Let me reiterate: We need proper protection frameworks. We need more convictions of those who prey on females. And we need to end the remaining institutional blindness to this epidemic upon women. There are no more excuses. It is already too late.
No words of comfort can ever bring a mother, a daughter, or a sister back. But justice and accountability is a small step for those they leave behind. We must do more for women.
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, let us recommit ourselves to do everything possible to prevent violence against women and girls in Europe and beyond. The European Parliament will discuss what it can do to address this issue in this Chamber on Thursday.