European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Monday called for “proper protection frameworks” as she spoke about violence against women during Monday’s parliamentary sitting.

Speaking on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Metsola called for commitment to “do everything possible to prevent violence against women and girls in Europe and beyond”.

Metsola referred to Bernice Cassar and Paulina Dembska’s murders in Malta, along with those of Giulia Cecchettin, Ashling Murphy and others giving them as “examples of abuse and murder of women in Europe... simply for being women. It is appalling. It is terrible. And it is completely unacceptable.”

She said: “We need proper protection frameworks. We need more convictions of those who prey on females. And we need to end the remaining institutional blindness to this epidemic upon women. There are no more excuses. It is already too late.”

Metsola said that nowords of comfort can ever bring a mother, a daughter, or a sister back. But justice and accountability were small steps for those they leave behind. “We must do more for women.”