A BRAVE young woman fought tooth and nail for 40 minutes to ward off a violent sex attacker – only to be fined by a judge for using too much force.
Milica Živković, 24, was walking home with a friend after a night out in Kolašin, a town in northern Montenegro, when she noticed a man was following them.
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He had earlier made unwelcome advances and pestered her in a cafe, persisting even when she left.
Milica said what unfolded after she ignored his advances a second time left her fearing for her life and thinking “the worst” might happen, reported Metro.co.uk.
The student recounted: “He grabbed my chin… and then he grabbed me by my intimate part (bottom area).
“Defending myself, I hit him with a closed and then open fist, which I learned while training kickboxing for four years.
“In such moments you can only think of the worst. But I fought as hard as I could, and of course I knocked him out.”
She told local media the fight lasted 40 minutes and ended only when a passerby approached and her attacker ran away, leaving behind some documents which helped her establish his identity.
Despite attending court as a victim, Judge Alija Beganovic fined Milica €85 for “exceeding the necessity of self-defence” and “violating public order and peace.”
The young woman was also ordered to pay the costs of a court translator for her attacker, a Turkish national, according to RFERL, while he received a fine of just €300 and spent only 12 hours in custody.
Milica later said: “I don’t know which was harder on me, the thug attack or the judge’s verdict.
“I left as a victim, innocent, and there I was slapped with the reality that I was guilty because I defended myself.”
The court’s decision has been widely criticised by people and women’s rights organisations in Montenegro and beyond, with thousands of women taking to the streets in protest of sexual violence and in support of Milica.
Among those upset by the ruling and convinced judicial reform is necessary is Montenegro Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, who described the judgment as “unfortunately devastating”.
He said: “I regret that such examples confirm how necessary we need changes in the judiciary and prosecutor’s office.
“But Milica was not afraid, but bravely and calmly defended herself from the bully, who eventually got the upper hand and was beaten.”
Montenegrin politician Vladislav Dajković tweeted a picture of Milica with the caption: “This is Milica Živković from Kolašin. She was attacked yesterday by a Turkish citizen, who tried to forcefully kiss her and touch her body parts.
“What is scandalous is the verdict of the judge who condemned Milica to pay the fine because she injured the attacker in self-defence.
“Such behavior of institutions that ignore women’s rights leads to such tragic and bloody outcomes as the horrific murder of a woman in Bosnia two days ago.”
Since the court’s decision was made public, hundreds of people have offered to pay Milica’s fine.
The young woman is now appealing against the ruling so that she may “get justice”.
She said: “People’s response has been mostly positive. I have received a lot of support, which will help me reach my goal and get justice as soon as possible.
“Of course, I have received negative comments, mostly from women who should be my biggest supporters, but sadly we are not all the same.”
Milica’s father Stevo Zivkovic made a statement urging parents to go to the authorities and “report everything your child reports to you, from ‘harmless touches’ to open attacks and attempted assault.”
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