How does the state help people who have been subjected to domestic violence?

During the ten months of 2019, there were 1509 cases of violence against women and girls in Armenia, 84 of which were against sexual immunity and sexual freedom, and 305 cases of domestic violence. During the 10 months of this year,  husbands killed four women. This information was presented by Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Christine Grigoryan during the discussion at the Article 3 Club dedicated to the effectiveness of the legislative mechanisms in the fight against domestic violence.

However, Deputy Chief of the 3rd Department of Criminal Investigation of the RA Police Arthur Vardanyan claims that the number of violence against women and girls is decreasing this year as the number of cases of violence in the same period of 2018 was 1928. Domestic violence cases also tend to decrease – if there were 460 such cases in 2018, the number of domestic violence cases in the first 10 months of this year was 305.

Every case of women and girls subjected to sexual abuse or exploitation by the police receives a rapid response. In the 10 months of 2019, 84 crimes against sexual liberty and sexual immunity were registered in Armenia against 77 in the previous year. 49 cases of juvenile offenses were committed in 2018 against 47 in the previous year. This information was presented to the journalists by Nelly Duryan, Head of the Department of Protection of Juvenile Rights and Fight against Domestic Violence, 3rd Chief of the RA Police Criminal Investigation.

As of January 1, 2020, support centers for domestic violence victims will be established in all regions of Armenia. Olga Azatyan, Advisor to the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, informed about this during the discussion. He noted that the person subjected to violence at these centers will receive psychological, legal and other support.

Perhaps the most important expectation from 2020 is that, according to a government decision on October 10, centralized domestic violence reporting will be conducted in Armenia for the first time since January. That is, the state the exact number of what kind of violence has been committed in the family, who has done it, as well as what region, what kind of violence there is, etc. “Only with this data will we be able to develop appropriate mechanisms,” the minister’s adviser added.