“Domestic Violence Law cannot affect family values”

Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan told reporters during the event dedicated to 16-day global campaign against gender violence yesterday that Armenia needs Domestic Violence Law and legislative levers are needed by state bodies, but at the same time it is necessary to be careful so that no cases of unreasonable interference in the family occur.  

He also mentioned that this law cannot undermine family values. “The promotion of those values ​​is our priority. We have always stated that it is hard to find a better place for a child to live happily than a family. The state should take all measures to strengthen the relationship in the family. Together with this, it is meaningless to speak of a strong family, if we do not have effective means to prevent them”, – said Tatoyan, adding that there are cases when a child does not attend school or kindergarten because of domestic violence.

Arman Tatoyan also mentioned that currently they are studying the draft law and presenting their proposals.

To the question as to which extent it is logical to change the name of the bill for a reason that some people did not like it or worry about some points, the Human Rights Defender said that the law cannot be adapted to anyone’s interests. “The law must be for the protection of the society and should be processed in such a way so that it can be applied in practice”.

Full text in Armenian