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Latest items for DV-LAW-1

March 8, 2023, 1:43 p.m.
Countries: Montenegro
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"[T]here was not a single reported case of marital rape qualified as a criminal offense. Prosecutors treated such cases as 'sexual harassment' in accordance with the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence" (12). "Until the application of the Law on Compensation for Victims of Violence or the provision on the beginning of its application is amended, victims of violence in the process of claiming damages depend on a conviction that provides them with the right to compensation, either within criminal proceedings (criminal proceedings and claims for damages) or within a separate proceeding (civil litigation). The Law on Protection from Domestic Violence sets forth several protective measures that can be imposed...more
Feb. 24, 2023, 12:54 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The Domestic Violence (Offence and Punishment) Act, 2009, amended in 2015, lists some grave cases of domestic violence under State offence. Local authorities, the Nepal Police, courts and the NWC have been implementing the Act and its Rules, 2010 in receiving complaints, proper investigation, prosecution and ensuring punishment against the perpetrators in the cases of domestic violence. The monitoring framework is expected to enable DoWC to coordinate with the police and different partners to gather information on cases of domestic violence and monitor the implementation status of the law." (8). "Role of the Domestic Violence (Offence and Punishment) Act, 2009 and its Rules, 2010, Witchcraft related Accusation (Offence and Punishment)...more
Feb. 19, 2023, 1:18 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: DACH-LAW-1, ERBG-PRACTICE-2, ERBG-PRACTICE-3, ERBG-LAW-1, LBHO-PRACTICE-2, LBHO-LAW-1, DV-LAW-1, AFE-LAW-1, DTCP-LAW-1, CONST-LAW-1

“While the law provides women the same legal status and rights as men, women faced some discrimination in economic participation and political empowerment. The law provides for equal opportunities in all spheres of public, economic, and political life; equal access to public resources; equal treatment; exclusion of gender-based discrimination and violence; balanced representation of men and women in all decision-making bodies; and overcoming gender-based stereotypes” (p. 23).
Feb. 19, 2023, 1 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: DV-LAW-1

“Policy dialogue concerning violence against women in Bulgaria has had a long and controversial history. Some of the important challenges faced include the slow pace of policy and legal reforms, the non-availability and non-accessibility of support services for victims of domestic violence, and poor coordination of efforts” (bottom of first paragraph). “In January 2021, WHO supported Bulgaria’s Ministry of Justice to prepare a draft law amending the Protection against Domestic Violence Act (PADVA), with the participation of the office of the Ombudsman, Civil Society Organizations, and NGO partners. With the entry into force of the new law, a National Commission for Prevention of Domestic Violence will be established as a...more
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:46 a.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The jury in Renfrew County, Ontario, just west of Canada’s capital, delivered 86 recommendations this week in a unanimous verdict on the deaths of three local women, who were killed by the same man on a single morning nearly seven years ago" (Para.2). "The boldest was to have the Ontario government 'formally declare intimate partner violence as an epidemic' that requires 'significant financial investment' and deep systemic change to remedy" (Para.3). "The jury also recommended official prominence be given to the word 'femicide' – to have it be listed as a manner of death by coroners in the province and added to the criminal code of Canada to underscore the...more
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:38 a.m.
Countries: China
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"Making contact with a potential victim is something we’re taught to do as domestic violence volunteers, as it reminds victims that they can seek assistance from others. On the night of May 19, about five weeks after the first assault, I heard a loud noise like furniture being smashed on the floor, then a woman’s voice: 'Help! Help! My husband is beating me!' I rushed upstairs, where I found the woman sitting on the floor, hurt and unable to stand" (Para.9). "I returned to my own floor and called the police again. This time I stressed that the woman needed medical care. It’s another strategy we are taught: By highlighting...more
Feb. 6, 2023, 12:07 p.m.
Countries: Kyrgyzstan
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The Committee [on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women] welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2015 of the State party’s previous report in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the adoption of the following: The Act on Protection and Defence against Domestic Violence (Act No. 63 of 27 April 2017)" (1, 5). "The Committee recommends that the State party...[r]eview the Act on Protection and Defence against Domestic Violence to ensure that it covers all forms of gender-based violence and takes into account the special needs of disadvantaged and marginalized groups of women, including women with disabilities, migrant women, women living with HIV/AIDS, women using drugs and...more
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:14 p.m.
Countries: Namibia
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The aim of the Bill is to amend the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, 2003 (Act No. 4 of 2003), so as to amend the definition of the term 'child' and inset a definition of 'primary caretaker'; to amend the definition of 'domestic relationship'; clarify the necessity to show urgency in order to obtain an interim protection order on an ex parte basis. To remove the requirement that protection orders must be issued in a prescribed form; to amend the possible terms of protection orders so as to broaden the possible provisions for assisting the complainant and respondent to secure property and to add the possibility of a provision directing...more
Jan. 21, 2023, 8:08 a.m.
Countries: Iran
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"She never got justice for the brutal attack 12 years ago that left her permanently disfigured. Her father-in-law threw acid in her face because she had sought a divorce from her husband, but under Iran's Islamic law, her two eyes were worth only one of his" (para 3).
Jan. 13, 2023, 3:39 p.m.
Countries: Afghanistan
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"These examples highlight the extent to which it is not only the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s ability to leave their house without a chaperone that is harmful, but the violence and the threat of violence used by the Taliban in trying to enforce compliance that takes its toll, causing intense mental and psychological stress. Participants noted that if women do not follow the Taliban’s rules, it is the male head of the household who will be punished, which has led to stress and conflict within households. The constant surveillance and harassment of women, even when they are acting in accordance with the Taliban’s own policies, combined with the disappearances, killings,...more
Jan. 12, 2023, 8:01 p.m.
Countries: Nicaragua
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"Later came the approval of Law 779: the Integral Law against Violence against Women (2014), a policy first proposed in the 1980s and finally ratified, despite strong counter-opposition by the religious sector, with the return of the FSLN government. It gives Nicaraguan women a legal framework for the protection and defense of their lives which is implemented with the assistance of 85 all-women police stations, comisarias, whose main focus is on protecting women and children from abuse" (para 18) (NF - CODER COMMENT - This is yet another example of very few or no protections were granted to women prior to the implementation of this law).
Jan. 6, 2023, 8:24 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"Authorities have tried to address [the issue of domestic violence], introducing an anti-domestic violence law in 2016 that allows victims to obtain protection orders. Since then police stopped or prevented more than six million incidents of domestic violence according to Asia Foundation, in an indication of how widespread the problem has become. On the surface the law appeared to work: state media reported that domestic violence complaints to the Communist Party-linked All-China Women's Federation have gone down 8.4% in 2019 compared to the previous year, and Equality's media montioring found that news outlets reported less domestic violence cases that result in deaths than three to five years ago" (para 27-28)....more
Dec. 29, 2022, 6:41 p.m.
Countries: India
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"[A] lot of women face forceful or non-consensual sexual intercourse with their husbands. In such a case, an aggrieved woman can…file an application under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence (DV) Act" (para 14).
Dec. 29, 2022, 1:35 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The UN report attributed gender-based violence to deeply-rooted gender norms in China - a country where domestic violence was only made a criminal offence in 2016" (para 10).
Dec. 26, 2022, 5:35 p.m.
Countries: Qatar
Variables: LRW-LAW-1, DV-LAW-1

"Neither rape nor domestic violence is illegal" (para 3).
Dec. 19, 2022, 12:39 p.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: SUICIDE-PRACTICE-1, DV-PRACTICE-1, DV-LAW-1

“In a published case, the appellate court reversed a lower court's murder conviction of a man who systematically abused his girlfriend. On the night of the woman's death, the defendant beat the woman for an hour. The court record states that he hit her with his hands and slammed her head against the wall. It describes how both the blood stains on the wall and an examination of injuries demonstrated that the beating was extremely violent. At 3 a.m., the defendant stopped beating the victim and started to leave the apartment. The victim ran to the open window and jumped out of it. She died immediately. The lower court concluded...more
Dec. 8, 2022, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"China's anti-domestic violence law has been in existence since 2016" (para 3).
Oct. 7, 2022, 4:17 p.m.
Countries: Portugal
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The law provides for criminal penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment in cases of domestic violence by a spouse or by a person other than the spouse" (11). "The constitution provides for basic rights of the child, and laws protect children against, among others, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and physical and emotional neglect, and the government generally enforced the law" (16).
July 6, 2022, 10:35 a.m.
Countries: Djibouti
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The development of a legal guide to address gender-based violence. The guide is a legal, informational and orientation tool for women victims of violence, covering physical, psychological, sexual, economic and legal violence. It is a very important educational tool that helps women, specifically, to press charges and seek legal assistance" (12).
June 21, 2022, 8:35 a.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"Domestic Violence Act, in Anguilla in 2014, which provides greater protection for victims of domestic violence by empowering courts to grant a protection order" (2).
June 14, 2022, 5:24 p.m.
Countries: Denmark
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"According to the Act on Social Services, every municipal council has a legal obligation to provide temporary accommodation for women who have experienced violence, threats of violence or any similar crisis in relation to family or marital status. Women may be accompanied by children and receive care and support during their stay. Women staying at women’s shelters receive introductory and coordinated counselling, and the municipal council must offer psychological treatment to children accompanying their mother at the shelter" (12).
June 7, 2022, 10:47 a.m.
Countries: China
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"Article 46 of the law stipulates that “domestic violence against women is prohibited. The State takes measures to prevent and stop domestic violence. The departments of public security, civil affairs, judicial administration, etc., as well as urban and rural mass organizations of self-government at the grassroots level and public organizations shall, within the scope of their respective duties, prevent and stop domestic violence, and provide assistance to female victims.” All the provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have also amended or enacted measures for implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women, incorporating provisions for the prevention and suppression of...more
May 30, 2022, 9:08 p.m.
Countries: Switzerland
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"An amendment to article 50, paragraph 2 of the Foreign Nationals Act (FNA) came into force on 1 July 2013. When a spouse has not freely consented to the marriage, he or she may henceforth invoke important personal reasons to obtain or extend a residence permit. That change also enshrines in law the Federal Supreme Court’s case law under which, for the right to residence to be upheld after family breakdown, it is not necessary for both conditions, i.e. domestic violence and gravely compromised prospects of social reintegration in the country of origin, to be fulfilled. Moreover, FOGE and FOM have organized four regional workshops on enforcement of FNA article...more
May 27, 2022, 11:45 a.m.
Countries: Serbia
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The law prohibits child abuse" (27).
May 16, 2022, 8:09 p.m.
Countries: Suriname
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"Adoption of the Law to Combat Domestic Violence (2009). This law aims to protect victims of domestic violence at an early stage through a fast procedure. According to this law, victims of domestic violence can request a restraining order. At the initiative of the Women’s Rights Centre a committee was formed, consisting of legal and gender experts of NGOs, the Anton de Kom University of Suriname (ADEKUS) and the Ministry of Justice and Police, which started with the formulation in mid 2001 of the special law on domestic violence, and a training on domestic violence organized for magistrates, lawyers, prosecutors and police officers in 2003 with the assistance of external...more
May 12, 2022, 5 p.m.
Countries: Panama
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The law against gender violence stipulates stiff penalties for harassment and both physical and emotional abuse. The law states that sentencing for femicide is a mandatory 25 to 30 years in prison. Officials and civil society organizations agreed that domestic violence continued to be a serious crime. The PNP Specialized Unit for Domestic and Gender Violence created in 2018 continued to have 190 agents trained to work these cases. In June, Roberto Moreno Grajales was convicted and sentenced to 30 years prison for the 2016 killing of his former girlfriend, Diosila Martinez. He had originally fled to Costa Rica after the killing but was extradited in 2018 to Panama" (12)....more
April 29, 2022, 5:43 p.m.
Countries: Russia
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"[T]he committee notes with concern:... [t]he amendment to article 116 of the Criminal Code in February 2017, decriminalizing non-aggravated battery against family or household members and reclassifying it as an administrative offence" (6-7). "[T]he Committee recommends that the State party:... [a]dopt comprehensive legislation to prevent and address domestic violence... and amend the Criminal Code to criminalize on all forms of domestic violence, including physical, sexual, economic and psychological" (7).
April 18, 2022, 10:31 a.m.
Countries: Mozambique
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2007 of the State party’s second report in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the adoption or establishment of the ...Act on Domestic Violence against Women (No. 29/2009)" (1). "The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the State party to combat violence against women, such as the adoption of the Act on Domestic Violence against Women (No. 29/2009) and the amendment of the Penal Code, by which the provision exempting an aggressor from criminal liability in case of marriage to the victim of sexual abuse was repealed" (7).
April 5, 2022, 11:51 a.m.
Countries: Belarus
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"The law on crime prevention establishes a separate definition of domestic violence and provides for implementation of protective orders, which are from three to 30 days in duration.The law requires authorities to provide victims and abusers with temporary accommodation until the protective orders expire. In addition, the code on administrative offenses prescribes a large fine or detention for up to 15 days for violating protective orders, battery, intended infliction of pain, and psychological or physical suffering committed against a close family member"(27).
March 28, 2022, 8:57 p.m.
Countries: Latvia
Variables: DV-LAW-1

"Domestic violence is considered an aggravating factor in certain criminal offenses. There are penalties for causing even 'minor' bodily harm when the victim and perpetrator are spouses, former spouses, or civil partners" (12). "The law, as amended during the year, allows police to investigate domestic violence without a victim’s prior approval and criminalizes stalking. The law allows victims of domestic violence to request police officers issue an order for eviction of the perpetrator for eight days. Upon such a request, police must react immediately, on the spot, if necessary" (12). "The law empowers courts to remove vulnerable and abused children from violent homes if parents or guardians cannot do so...more