The number of restraining orders issued in cases of domestic violence has increased, shows a report presented by “Promo-LEX” Association on March 31. In 2012 there were issued 450 such orders, while in the first nine months of 2014 their number doubled. The report, which covers the period between 2012 and 2014, says the victims of domestic violence are not fully aware of the possibilities provided by the law and do not know about the existence of bodies that are obliged to act in such situations, IPN reports.
Report co-author Alexandru Postica said that only 22% of the interviewed victims said they knew about the social workers’ competence in the prevention and combating of violence before they got a protection order. 50% of the victims do not believe that the police are able to protect them, while some of the victims said the police officers most of the times try to mediate the conflict and do not take firm actions to penalize the aggressors.
Alexandru Postica approved of the adoption by the authorities of a number of instructions that clearly explain the measures that must be taken to prevent domestic violence. However, the applications are treated in a different way and the provisions of the Penal Code and of the Code of Administrative Offenses are applied non-uniformly.
The authors of the report consider the Supreme Court of Justice should adopt a decision concerning the standardization of the judicial practice in dealing with cases of domestic violence. They recommend signing and ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, training the relevant players in the field and creating emergency centers for victims of domestic violence in each territorial-administrative unit.
The 2012-2014 report on the way the restraining orders in cases of domestic violence are issued and implemented was produced based on information received from all the relevant bodies and on 125 interviews with representatives of the police, social assistance divisions and victims of domestic violence that benefitted from protection orders.
