The Ombudsman in a statement on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women called as very important breaking the silence about domestic violence in order for relevant authorities to successfully combat this phenomenon. “Violence against women is one of the most serious violations of human rights and remains a major impediment to the realization of equality, prosperity and peace in society. For the Ombudsman it remains a big concern that domestic violence, particularly violence against women, continues to be a problem evident in our society. Only a small number of cases of domestic violence are reported to the competent authorities, but there is a perception that in reality this number is much larger, especially in rural areas. In most cases, the most frequent victims of domestic violence are children, women and elders. On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Ombudsman draws attention to the necessity of timely and appropriate response by the competent authorities, particularly in cases where domestic violence occurs. It is inexcusable the omission or failure of the institutions responsible for protecting the victims. There are some cases made public, including cases marked this year, where as a result of domestic violence and as a result of the inaction of the competent authorities, people lost their lives. The loss of life should be an alarm for all social institutions. The Ombudsman emphasizes that closer cooperation between state institutions, civil society and society as a whole, for the prevention of violence against women, is necessary in order to prevent violence against women and to shape an overall environment where violence against women is unacceptable and intolerable.