The family abusers will be able to use the services of assistance and counseling centers that will be opened with the aim of contributing to tempering the violent behavior of these persons. The Government approved the framework regulations concerning the organization and running of such centers, IPN reports.

At the first stage, there will be opened 10 such centers. The costs will be covered mainly by the local public authorities. The abusers will be able to attend counseling courses at the center on request or based on a court decision.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Gheorghe Turcanu said that these centers will be social institutions that will provide specialized services to persons who resort to domestic violence and to teens with violent behavior.

There is now only one assistance and counseling center for domestic abusers. “The costs of running such a center are not low, but are comparably lower than the costs incurred when the domestic abusers are sent to jail,” said Gheorghe Turcanu.

He added that over 700,000 lei was spent on renovating the building of the Drochia-based center, purchasing furniture and on other needs. For comparison, the maintaining of 60 prisoners sentenced to imprisonment for committing murders in the family cost the state 1.8 million lei over the last three years.