How should the police work with victims of domestic violence and perpetrators?

The organizations dealing with domestic violence have numerous facts that testify to the an appropriate treatment of police to the women victims of abuse, the lack of preventive work with the perpetrators, and the shortcomings of professional and rapid response.

First, the Police Chief’s decree establishes the criteria for assessing the danger of repetition or continuation of domestic violence. That is, the police officer estimates the immediate threat of repetition or continuation of domestic violence on the basis of the explanation of the offender, based on the explanation of the perpetrator.

Additionally, a questionnaire is set out to ask what questions a person is subjected to domestic violence.

By the way, there is also a special questionnaire for the person who committed the violence.

Another order by the Chief of the Police sets out the forms of preventive and immediate intervention decisions against a person who has committed domestic violence, as well as:

How to increase work efficiency?

The next order of the Armenian Police Chief refers to responding to violence in the family and raising the effectiveness of the work done with the victims.

Statistics

According to the RA Investigation Committee’s data, cases of domestic violence have increased in Armenia in 2018. In 2018, 519 criminal cases of domestic violence were examined, compared to 458 of the previous year.

In 193 cases, most cases were committed by a husband, 12 cases by a woman, 12 by a mother, 27 by a father, two by a stepfather, 13 by a brother or a sister,  4-  by grandmother or grandfather, in 40 cases  – by son or  a step son, in 7  instances – by grandchildren, in 9 cases – spouse’s parents, in 13 cases –by a  bride or groom.