Halvdan Skard: ''Domestic violence is killing by another name''

Strasbourg, 27.03.2007 - ''Domestic violence kills even when it does not end in death,'' stressed today Congress President Halvdan Skard at the opening of the photo exhibition ''Break the silence on domestic violence'' in the Council of Europe. ''It kills love and affection. It kills respect and friendship. It kills relationships and marriages. Finally, it kills people,'' he continued.

''For far too long we have been turning a deaf ear to the screams from behind closed doors and drawn curtains. This must stop. We all must raise our voice and say loud and clear: Domestic violence is not a private matter. Domestic violence is a crime'', said President Skard.

Speech