Serbian ex-defense minister says ‘ashamed’ of verbal abuse of woman
Serbia’s defense minister, who has been sacked over insulting a female journalist, has expressed his deep shame, vowing to fight harassment of women in the Balkan country.
Bratislav Gasic said on Tuesday that he felt “disgraced and ashamed” over the mocking remarks he made to a journalist from B92 Television who had knelt down to avoid being in camera shots as the former minister spoke to a group of reporters during a visit to a factory two days ago.
The minister told reporters he was short of “words strong enough I could use to offer my apology.”
Rights activists have hailed a decision by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to sack Gasic over his remarks, saying the move sends a message that the traditionally male-dominant Serbia is beginning to resist such insults to women.
“Whatever he says now cannot erase what he has done, which was very bad and which will have stronger consequences,” said Vesna Stanojevic, a campaigner who runs a support group for women facing violence in Serbia, adding, “He knew about harassment of women before this; it's not like this incident opened his eyes.”
Gasic said after he was sacked that he holds no grudge against the prime minister and will help their Serbian Progressive Party any way he can.
“In our society we have too many cases in which we don't treat the women in a fair way, too many cases of harassment,” he said, adding, “I am very sorry that my behavior contributed to that in some way.”
“From now on I will make it my mission to fight this ugly story,” Gasic stated.
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