Experts Demand Urgent Reform as 2026 Begins with 2 Tragic Domestic Killings

Mauritius has recorded its second femicide within the first seven days of the year, sparking urgent calls from legal experts for structural reform to address what has been described as a “continuum of ignored violence.”

The latest victim, 30-year-old Shivani Saminaden, died following a violent domestic dispute. Her death follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling in December which, for the first time, explicitly recognised the term “femicide” in the Mauritian legal landscape.

A Systemic Failure

Mokshda Pertaub, a lawyer and UN gender expert, warns that the early surge in killings in 2026 reveals a “disturbing truth” about the safety of women in the country. Despite official awareness campaigns, she argues that the state is failing to provide “effective protection” for those at risk.

“These deaths show that the problem is not occasional, but structural,” said Ms Pertaub, who also serves as president of MPower.

“Femicides are the symptom of a system that fails to intervene in time, despite often very clear warning signals.”

Precedent for Change

The legal community is currently pointing to the Supreme Court judgment of 10 December 2025, in the case of State v. Nubbeebuccus Mamode Umaiir.

Presided over by Mr Justice Mehdi Manrakhan, the court acknowledged that the victim had made multiple complaints and sought protection to no avail.

The ruling was significant for several reasons:

• Explicit Recognition: It named “femicide” as a specific act based on misogyny and coercive control, despite the term not yet being codified in the Penal Code.
• Institutional Failure: The court admitted the State failed in its obligation to protect a victim who had repeatedly alerted the police.
• Proportionality: It justified life imprisonment based on the gendered motive and premeditation of the crime.

The Call for Codification

Ms Pertaub is now leading calls for femicide to be established as a distinct criminal offence.

She argues that naming the crime is essential for improving data collection and sending a clear message that gender-based violence is neither tolerable nor “trivialisable.”

“Law only saves lives when it is applied rigorously, in a coordinated and rapid manner,” she stated, noting that the current institutional response is often “fragmented, slow, or insufficient.”

Immediate Action Required

While awaiting reforms to the Domestic Abuse Bill, experts are demanding immediate improvements in risk assessment, particularly for cases involving repeat complaints.

Suggestions include better coordination between police and social services, alongside trauma-sensitive training for frontline officers.

“Every delay kills,” Ms Pertaub warned. “Moving from indignation to action is no longer a moral option; it is a legal and human obligation. Justice cannot only be punitive; it must be preventive.”

Source: Defi Media