Gender violence and international protection in the light of the recent European Union Court of Justice case law. New perspectives for the protection of victims

In recent decades, preventing and combating gender-based violence has received increasing attention from both States and international monitoring bodies established under various human rights conventions at the universal and regional levels. As is well known, there is no shortage of specific and binding international legal instruments devoted entirely to this issue. In reconstructing and analysing the relevant legal framework, particular and necessary attention must also be paid to the protection of foreign women who are victims of violence in their countries of origin. In this respect, and with specific reference to the European Union legal system, the Court of Justice (CJEU) in 2024 has issued several judgments aimed at strengthening the current protection regime, particularly regarding access to international protection. The general aim of this essay is to provide a critical examination of this case law, highlighting the key points of the Court’s orientation concerning, inter alia, the assessment of requests for international protection submitted by applicants.