Population Size:
4,067,500.[1]
Number of People Experiencing Domestic Abuse Each Year:
2014: There were approximately 13,067 reports of domestic violence made under the Misdemeanour Domestic Violence Law.[2] The incidence of domestic violence is actually higher, however, this number does not include either criminal‐level domestic violence offences or unreported abuse.
2013: There were approximately 14,335 reports of domestic violence made under the Misdemeanour Domestic Violence Law.[3]
2012: 31% of women in Croatia reported having experienced frequent domestic violence, while 44% reported having experienced it occasionally.[4]
Femicides are also a serious problem in Croatia:
2013: 11 women were killed by their male partners.[5]
2012: 12 women were killed by their male partners.[6]
2010-2020: 300 women have been murdered by their husbands, partners and/or relatives.[7]
No research on male victims or other gender identities.
Cost of Domestic Abuse to the Economy Each Year:
2012: The estimated annual cost of gender-based violence against women in Croatia amounts to €1,913,814,248.[8]
Estimated % Change due to COVID-19:
In Croatia, police told the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network that the number of domestic violence cases was up from 94 in March 2019 to 120 in March 2020. The police proceeded to stress that the rise should not be interpreted as an “overall increase in violence” but was the result of efforts to educate police officers on how to identify such offences.
On 8th April 2020, the Autonomous Women’s House of Zagreb stated that in February 2020 – March 2020, it had received 19 requests from women for admission to its shelter and was receiving around 10 calls every day.[9]
Current Law and Policy:
The government of Croatia has laws in place to combat domestic violence in their country. Domestic violence is included as an aggravated factor under the Criminal Code and includes increased penalties when the crime is committed within the family or out of hatred against a family member. The Law on Protection against Domestic Violence includes protective measures for victims, such as short-term or long-term restraining order or eviction, as well as measures directed at offenders’ behaviour such as psychosocial treatment (Human Rights Council, 2013). In April 2018, following a vigorous public debate, the country ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Prevention and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention), which entered into force in October 2018. the recently adopted legal and policy measures still fall short of international standards and contain restrictive provisions that limit access to rights for many victims of gender-based violence. The new Law on Protection against Domestic Violence,