Right to Life

  • Under the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone’s right to life is protected by law.
  • This means no unlawful killing, but also protecting people whose lives are in danger.
  • The European Convention on Human Rights has been used to tackle excessive police violence, to force the authorities to properly investigate murders and to highlight government failings in response to terrorist attacks.

 

 

Examples

Justice for the families of victims of war crimes and disappearances from the conflict in Croatia

Josipa Skendžić waited decades for answers about what happened to her husband. The European court ruled that Croatia failed to properly investigate his disappearance in police custody during the “Homeland War” in 1991. Since the judgment, Croatia has taken steps to ensure that all allegations of war crimes are properly investigated and has intensified the search for missing persons.

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A father’s fight for justice leads to better police oversight

Maigonis Emars had serious concerns about the police investigation into his daughter’s death. The European Court of Human Rights agreed, ruling that the murder probe was neither appropriate nor independent. In response to the court’s judgment, Latvia took steps to improve the independence of investigations to try to stop the same thing from ever happening again.

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Health reforms after a pregnant woman was denied life-saving care

Pregnant mother Menekşe Şentürk died after being denied treatment that could have saved her life. The European Court of Human Rights found that she was a victim of medical negligence. This judgment and others led Turkey to improve its healthcare system and make it more accessible for people who cannot afford urgent care.

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The landmark judgment that inspired Europe to act on violence against women

Nahide Opuz was abused by her husband for years. The violence tragically led to the murder of her mother. The European court ruled that Turkey had not done enough to protect Nahide and her mother, and, for the first time ever, that gender-based violence is a form of discrimination. The judgment helped to inspire international efforts to prevent and combat violence against women.

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Parents win fight for justice following their son’s death

Gregor Šilih was 20 when he died in hospital. His parents believed that medical negligence was to blame. They launched legal action to find out the truth. Thirteen years later their claim had still not been resolved. The European court ruled that the authorities had failed to take effective steps to discover the truth. The case led to reforms to stop the same thing from happening again.

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Justice for family of murdered mother and daughter

M.T. and her infant daughter, V.T., were shot dead by a man who had just been released from prison after making violent threats against them. M.T. and V.T.’s family believed that the authorities had not done enough to protect them. The European court agreed. Its judgment in their case led Croatia to strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence.

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Deadly attack on woman and her son leads to ongoing reforms to combat domestic violence

Elisaveta Talpis’s husband physically abused her for years. She complained to the police, but they took no action for months. One night Elisaveta’s husband attacked her with a knife, wounding her and killing her son when he tried to intervene. The European court condemned the police’s inaction, leading to reforms to address domestic violence in Italy.

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Justice for the mother of two murdered children

Dana Kontrová repeatedly warned the police that her husband was violent and unstable. One day the police failed to take action after being told the man was threatening his family with a shotgun. Two days later he murdered his children before committing suicide. The European court ruled that the authorities had failed in their duty to protect the children, violating the right to life.

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Court win for victims of the Beslan school terrorism attack

In September 2004, over 330 people were killed (including over 180 children) and 750 injured in the Beslan hostage crisis. The authorities had had enough information to know that there would be an upcoming terrorist attack, but had not increased security or warned the public. Due to this shortcoming and others, the European Court ruled that the authorities had failed to properly protect the...

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Death of an alleged victim of human trafficking

At age 20, Oxana Rantseva was allegedly trafficked from Russia to Cyprus for sexual exploitation. Two weeks later, she was found dead beneath a balcony after trying to escape. The European court found that the authorities had failed to protect her and also failed to properly investigate after her death. Following the events, a series of measures were carried out to fight human trafficking.

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Reform of gun laws after police shoot dead unarmed men

Two 21-year-olds absconded from military service and went to see their grandmother. When military police arrived, the men were unarmed and non-violent - and tried to run away. Nevertheless, they were shot dead. The European court ruled that the military police had used grossly excessive force. This case, and others, led to changes in the rules on the authorities’ use of firearms.

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Failure to investigate death of a disabled man in police custody leads to reforms

Valdis Jasinskis was deaf and mute. He fell down some stairs outside a party and banged his head. The police were told about his injury and his disability, but they locked him in a cell and ignored his attempts to communicate. Mr Jasinskis later died in hospital, and the incident was not properly investigated. This led to a series of measures to help make sure that the police can be properly...

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15-year-old boy stabbed to death outside a school after authorities failed to act

The director of a school asked for the police to be present outside his school gates, due to significant problems between young people. No help was provided. 15 year-old Sedat Kayak was stabbed to death by another student just outside the school. The European court ruled that the authorities had failed in their duty to protect children. The case led to a series of reforms to help prevent school...

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Death of a detainee leads to changes to medical practices in prison

A young man suffering from psychosis and depression was imprisoned for theft. Whilst in jail, he committed suicide. The Strasbourg court ruled that the authorities had not done enough to protect his life. New rules were set up to help prison staff prevent inmates committing suicide.

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"Totally insufficient" investigation of a suspicious death and the reform of criminal investigations

Tatiana Trufin’s brother was killed in suspicious circumstances. Despite evidence of an attack, the authorities did very little to investigate for the next 12 years. The European court ruled that their efforts had been totally insufficient. This influenced reforms to improve the effectiveness of criminal investigations in Romania.

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