Rights defenders tell about problems of combating domestic violence

Russia fails to take sufficient measures to solve the problem of domestic violence, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) asserts.

On October 25, the HRW presented its report "I can kill you, and no one will stop me: domestic violence in Russia and reaction of the state", made on the outcomes of an in-depth study in a number of Russian regions.

The common problems of domestic violence are the same throughout Russia, Yulia Gorbunova, the author of the report and a HRW's researcher for Russia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, adding that Northern Caucasus is only planned as an object for rights defenders' study.

"Authorities fail to take the necessary measures to ensure the protection of women from domestic violence, our report states, as well as gaps in the legislation, absence of the institute of protection warrants and inadequate law enforcement and judiciary authorities' response to facts of physical violence in families," said Yulia Gorbunova.

Often the women, who come to complain to the police, courts, or psychologists, hear: "You've yourself provoked it."

"This is just the stereotype widespread in the Russian society and faced by the women, who suffer from domestic violence. This is a stigmatized topic. For example, at one of the trials, where a drunken man was judged for strangling his wife, the judge asked her: 'Why have you provoked him? It was necessary to let him sleep off.' Human rights defenders disagree with this approach," said Yulia Gorbunova.

Most countries,  have special laws on domestic violence; and public opinion is aware of it as a problem, Rachel Denber, a HRW's deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"As far as I know, apart from Russia, only Uzbekistan and Belarus [among Former Soviet Union countries] have no legislation of this kind ... Russia today just has no such legal notion as 'domestic violence'," Ms Denber has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 26, 2018 at 06:17 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.