"It's her own fault": How women hate women

Lawyer Zora Dobričanin Nikodinović was a guest in one of the last shows "Magazine in" hosted by presenter Sanja Marinković on TV Pink. One of the main topics was – violence against women. Their statements caused a stormy reaction from the public and various organizations for women's rights.

"What else do women do?" They provoke men to physical violence," said Dobričanin Nikodinović, and host Sanja Marinković interrupted with: "Zoro, and that's true."

Dobričanin Nikodinović continued that "physical violence is illegal and absolutely does not support physical violence".

"But there are cases where it is proven and proven that physical violence occurred due to constant psychological violence of women against men, and men are not used to, it is not in their genes, to defend themselves by talking, but their first reaction is to react physically, they repent in three seconds, but that's it, they achieved their goal, removal, emergency measure, they leave, kicked him out of the apartment," said Nikodinović from Dobričan.

At that, Sanja Marinković shouted "bravo".

And then the presenter herself continued in the direction of condemning the victims of domestic violence. "When I sometimes see in public when it says 'physical', 'violent', I immediately say, this is someone who certainly caused it," she said.

The statements of the host and lawyer were accompanied by thunderous applause from the audience in the studio, which is mostly women.

Autonomous women's center submitted applications

On the occasion of the show, the non-governmental organization Autonomous Women's Center submitted a report to the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) with a proposal to impose a temporary ban on the broadcasting of "Magazine In".

They also sent an appeal to the Ministry of Justice that lawyer Zora Dobričanin Nikodinović be relieved of her position as a member of the Working Group for Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure.

"Women are affected when they hear things like this," Vanja Macanović from the Autonomous Women's Center told Vreme.

"The host and the lawyer expressed their views publicly in the program, in a very popular show." It's terrible and they had to be careful, because they are sending the wrong message," says Macanović.

By reporting on violence against women in this way, it is possible that the provisions of the Law on Electronic Media were violated.

"The lawyer's speech was particularly discriminatory. She insulted women who are victims of violence and cited incorrect views that they provoke violence and that women's organizations teach them to do so. Victims of violence hear such things, unfortunately also in court," says our interlocutor.

Effect on victims and perpetrators of violence

The things said in the show are platitudes that are regularly uttered by the perpetrators of violence themselves, as well as by their defenders in court, and this prejudice is heard even more widely.

"The reputation of men was also hurt in the show, with the lawyer's statement that they are born to react physically." That is absolutely false. Only violent men react physically," says Macanović.

This type of speech further intimidates victims of violence who are hesitant to report their case and seek help.

"Such a statement hurt all the victims who reported the violence, even for those who are still reconsidering." The show was also watched by the perpetrators of violence. Then they think that if the victim reports them, they will not be held responsible for the violence, because victims are not believed," explains Macanović and adds:

"It's not just a problem that someone who is a lawyer said it. The problem is that women have this attitude. It's even more devastating."

AŽC has not yet received any answers from REM or the Ministry of Justice.

400 femicides in 10 years

Data published by the Automomni Women's Center show that in the last 10 years, more than 400 femicides have been recorded in Serbia, as the most severe form of gender-based violence.

Since the beginning of 2025, two femicides have occurred in Serbia.

Among them, the number of reported and convicted violent offenders, who later committed the same criminal acts, is worrying.

However, this is not the final number. There may be more cases of violence against women - because the data on the number of women killed in Serbia is not official. Only those cases - known thanks to media reports and police announcements - are counted here. In Serbia, a national body for monitoring femicide has not yet been formed, although its establishment was announced in 2018.