Arrests in Gevgelija for domestic violence after Bogdanci tragedy
Two recent arrests in Gevgelija follow the 3 November fatal case in Bogdanci amid worrying national statistics on domestic violence.
Police in the Gevgelija area have detained two men in separate incidents tied to gender-based and domestic violence, just days after a shocking fatal case in neighboring Bogdanci.
On one of the recent cases, officers from the Gevgelija regional unit arrested a 72-year-old resident yesterday at 12:30 in a village near Gevgelija after he reportedly behaved aggressively toward his 60-year-old wife. A breathalyzer test showed 2.22‰ blood alcohol; the man was held at the Gevgelija Police Station and the Public Prosecutor's Office was notified.
The same evening, at 19:40 in Gevgelija town, a 36-year-old identified as F.P. was handcuffed and arrested after police said he persistently followed, stalked and harassed his 43-year-old former partner. He was promptly brought before the Basic Court in Gevgelija.
The arrests follow a recent fatal case
These rapid interventions come while the public in the region and across the country is still reeling from the tragic events of 3 November in nearby Bogdanci. At the site known as "Icheva cheshma" in Gorno Selo, a burned car was found with a 17-year-old girl killed in the blaze; the lifeless body of a 21-year-old man was discovered beside the vehicle.
Initial findings by the Public Prosecutor's Office indicated a brutal murder and suicide. Authorities and activists point out that the fatal outcome was preceded by reports of physical attacks and endangerment filed at the end of September and in October, and that protection measures had been ordered for the young man, which evidently failed to prevent the worst.
Official data and civil-sector monitoring underline a persistent national problem: daily police bulletins record on average 8 to 12 reports of domestic violence within 24 hours, while annual figures range between 1,200 and 1,500 criminal offenses and misdemeanors in this field. From 2018 to 2025 more than 44,700 cases with elements of domestic violence were registered, with 42 people losing their lives. Activists demand not only swift arrests but tougher sentences and timely institutional protection so no complaint ends in a fatality.
Photo: press material from the event
