Crowds gathered in central Warsaw on Wednesday evening for a silent march in protest at violence against women following the rape and murder in the city of a Belarusian woman.
Elisaveta, the 25-year-old victim, was called Liza by her friends, inspiring Wednesday’s march to be called ‘Her name was Liza.’
Among the attendees was Pavel Latushko, the head of the Belarusian National Anti-Crisis Management Board, deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet, former minister and Belarusian ambassador, and currently the leader of the country’s diaspora in Poland.
“I am here, together with my daughter, to protest against violence against women. We are here together, in solidarity against violence—Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians,” he explained in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
He also addressed the issue of the lack of reaction to violence, which often occurs, not only in the case of the deceased woman’s tragedy.
“Let’s fight for those who are weaker than us. That’s what I believe; that’s how I was raised: I should defend those who are weaker than me,” he concluded.
Liza, a 25-year-old Belarusian, died in the hospital on March 1 after she was attacked in the center of the Polish capital on her way home the previous week.
“The attacker approached his victim from behind and put a knife to her throat, choking the woman and covering her mouth; he forcefully dragged her to a nearby gateway,” a spokesman from Warsaw Police Headquarters said at the time.
“A building caretaker found the naked and unconscious woman lying on the stairs and notified the police,” he added.
A 23-year-old man was detained by police for the attack on the same day that it occurred. He was initially charged with attempted murder, sexual assault, and robbery. However, following the woman’s death, the charges may be revised by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Among the attendees was Pavel Latushko, the head of the Belarusian National Anti-Crisis Management Board, deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet, former minister and Belarusian ambassador, and currently the leader of the country’s diaspora in Poland.
“I am here, together with my daughter, to protest against violence against women. We are here together, in solidarity against violence—Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians,” he explained in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
He also addressed the issue of the lack of reaction to violence, which often occurs, not only in the case of the deceased woman’s tragedy.
“It is also important that no one remains indifferent. Let us not ignore the cries coming from behind the neighbor’s door or ambiguous situations on the street. We must remember that there is a lot of violence surrounding us, from stronger individuals towards weaker ones. However, we have the strength to resist it,” he appealed.„Miała na imię Liza”. Cichy #marsz przeciwko przemocy w hołdzie 25-letniej Białorusinki, która została zgwałcona i zabita w #Warszawie 🕯️
— Yana Latushka (@YanaLatushka) March 6, 2024
❗️Stop przemocy i gwałtu pic.twitter.com/jgrIUtGcPu
“Let’s fight for those who are weaker than us. That’s what I believe; that’s how I was raised: I should defend those who are weaker than me,” he concluded.
Liza, a 25-year-old Belarusian, died in the hospital on March 1 after she was attacked in the center of the Polish capital on her way home the previous week.
“The attacker approached his victim from behind and put a knife to her throat, choking the woman and covering her mouth; he forcefully dragged her to a nearby gateway,” a spokesman from Warsaw Police Headquarters said at the time.
“A building caretaker found the naked and unconscious woman lying on the stairs and notified the police,” he added.
A 23-year-old man was detained by police for the attack on the same day that it occurred. He was initially charged with attempted murder, sexual assault, and robbery. However, following the woman’s death, the charges may be revised by the Prosecutor’s Office.
