The murder of a woman by her husband, a police officer, in the rural area of Kef (northwest) has caused outrage in Tunisia .
In fact, non- governmental organizations are warning today about the increased risk of domestic violence during this quarantine period.
Yesterday, a police officer shot five times with his service weapon against Rifka Serni’s wife, after a quarrel they had, the spokesman of the court of Kef, Mohamed Fawzi Daoudi, told the French Agency today.
Two days before her murder, the woman had reported her husband for physical violence, but did not ask for a prosecution against him, when they appeared together before the prosecutor, he added.
According to the Tunisian NGO Moussawet (equality, in Arabic), Rifka withdrew her complaint following pressure from the family. The officer was arrested and justice began an investigation, according to Daudy.
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs stated that it hopes that “this incident will activate the implementation of the law” of 2017 on violence against women, which provides legal assistance to victims.
The killing angered many internet users in Tunisia and on social media many uploaded photos of Rifka, who was less than 30 years old. Tunisian NGOs condemned a “heinous crime”.
In a press release today, the Democratic Women’s Organization (ATFD) called for a campaign against violence against women, under the slogan “violence kills like a pandemic.”
Moussawet warns of an increased risk of violence as Tunisia is locked down for a week on Sunday.
For the ATFD, “Rifka is a victim of a state that does not enforce the law.”
In 2017, parliament passed an ambitious law that significantly broadened the scope of punishable violence and reaffirmed Tunisia’s position as a pioneer in the field of women’s rights in the region. However, this text was little implemented.
