Praxis Report “Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection”, made with the support of UNHCR, was presented at a press conference organized on 11th February 2009 in Media Center, Belgrade. The report is a review of Praxis observations and experience gained over the three year period working on the implementation of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia – Prevention and Response Project, implemented by Praxis as the UNHCR implementing partner.
Domestic violence is a serious violation of basic human rights. Even though men can also be victims of this kind of violence, the statistics show that most often the victims are women and children, girls and boys. Unfortunately, there is no country or culture in the world that does not face this phenomenon. The countries only differ in the extent to which they have recognized this problem, as well as in what they have done to combat it.
By introducing the criminal act of domestic violence, as well as other legislative changes, the Republic of Serbia has clearly expressed its standpoint that domestic violence is unacceptable and socially dangerous behaviour. However, the existing legal framework does not provide adequate protection to the victims of domestic violence. Even if the criminal and family law were amended, the domestic legal system would not be suitable to systematically deal with the domestic violence. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an integrated law on the prevention of domestic violence, in line with the most advanced common law experiences, and particularly those of the Western European Countries. That law should contain efficient family law and criminal law provisions, as well as the provisions on the misdemeanour responsibilities for domestic violence which are currently lacking from the positive legal environment in the country, then the procedure that should be followed by the police when dealing with domestic violence and the provisions on the measures for improvement of work of the public authorities in various spheres.
In addition, it is necessary to work on raising awareness of the entire society, breaking down prejudices and achieving gender equality in every respect, because only thus can we efficiently combat this phenomenon.
Speakers at the conference were Svetozar Ciplic, Minister of Human and Minority Rights, Natalija Micunovic, Director of the Gender Equality Department and President of the Council for Gender Equality of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Lennart Kotsalainen, Representative of UNHCR in Serbia, Ivanka Kostic, Praxis Executive Director, Sasa Gajin from the Faculty of Law, Union University, Belgrade, Marija Krivacic, psychologist and Vesna Mitic, lawyer.
Download: Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Report
See information about presenting the report published on:
Ministry of Human and Minority Rights web site
Download (Serbian only): Pravi odgovor, br. 129
