Thirteen women in Croatia were killed last year by someone close, Gender Equality Ombudsman Visnja Ljubicic said on Saturday on the occasion of the One Billion Rising global campaign to end violence against women and girls.

She said those 13 women were killed by close persons they trusted and in whose environment they lived.

Interior Ministry data shows that last year there were about 8,000 misdemeanours and slightly over 7,000 criminal acts of domestic violence.

“When we recognise, feel or hear that someone is suffering, civic duty calls on us to report it because victims most often don’t have the strength to report the violence. Therefore let’s take that responsibility and save those who are in a vicious circle,” Ljubicic said at an event in the centre of Zagreb marking the campaign.

The event drew about 100 people, some with banners reading “One Billion for Revolution” and “Let’s build the culture of non-violence together.”

Every woman has the right to show her creativity, beauty and strength, said Rada Boric, the campaign’s regional coordinator.

“We are standing here today because some women can no longer stand up as they have been killed. We are standing up here because some are kneeling, some would deprive women and girls of their freedom,” she added.

Boric was referring to men who have been gathering in Zagreb’s main square every first Saturday in the month, to pray, among other things, for “women to dress and behave modestly”, as part of the “Be Manly” project of the Catholic association “Croatia for Life”.

Croatian MEP Predrag Matic called for empathy and solidarity, saying that the number of women in the EU killed by their partners or family members has risen to 600 a year.

Globally, it is estimated that one in three women is exposed to physical or sexual abuse.

“Croatia is no exception. While the Iranian system beats and kills women, and brave Iranian women are ashamed of it and fight for their lives, some here support the Iranian system and invoke discrimination and violence. What someone smart is ashamed of, the Croat invokes by kneeling,” Matic said.

The European Parliament is working on a new directive on the suppression of violence against women which will establish at EU level clear standards for violence prevention, victim protection, and appropriate sanctions for perpetrators.

“We must not allow victims to be abused twice, first by perpetrators and then by institutions,” said Matic.