Data shows that in 2025, more than 1,870 cases were filed for the crime of domestic or family violence, which is almost twice as many as in 2024, when 977 people were reported for this crime. Significantly fewer reports were recorded in 2023, when 466 people were reported for violence.
However, due to the non-functionality of the Unified Database for Violence, which is envisaged by the Reform Agenda, it is not possible to say with certainty what the exact number of reported cases of violence is. However, data from the Prosecutor's Office indicate that in 2025, slightly more than 800 were processed. In order for women to be truly protected from violence, a better legislative framework is necessary, with a special focus on introducing femicide as a separate criminal offense in the Montenegrin legal system, it was stated at the panel "Fighting femicide: legal framework and practice of EU countries". The penalty for perpetrators of femicide, according to the amendments to the Criminal Code, will be from 10 to 40 years.
"We accepted the amendments to the Criminal Code and submitted them in 2025, but that code and the Criminal Procedure Code do not contain only those provisions, and therefore the European Commission needs more time to answer these questions, but I believe that it is a matter of time before it gives a positive opinion," said Minister of Justice Bojan Božović.
"Femicide is not an isolated incident, it is the final act of continuous violence, most often male violence against women, which often remains unreported, insufficiently recognized, inadequately prevented and sanctioned. Each of these cases poses serious questions for us, namely whether the institutions reacted in a timely manner, whether the risk assessment system was adequate, whether the law recognizes the specificity of this form of violence and whether society is sending a clear message of zero tolerance for violence," said Maja Raičević from the Women's Rights Center.
