People address police more frequently for family crimes than earlier
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The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia says that people phone police for domestic violence cases more frequently than in previous years.
The Deputy Interior Minister of Georgia Natia Mezvrishvili stated today that between January 1 and July 1:
- The Interior Ministry launched investigation for 2,804 facts of family crimes and criminal prosecution was enacted against 1,933 individuals, which equals the whole data of the previous year.
- 1,328 individuals have been detained over the past six months for family violence.
- 3,292 restrictive orders have been issued in the period, which is a doubled figure of the previous year data.
- The cases of violation of restrictive orders are low, amounting to 7 percent of the whole figure and mostly concern the cases when violators come closer to victims.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is combating against the family crimes not only outside its walls, but also inside the system,” Mezvrishvili stated.
Disciplinary sanctions were issued for 10 employees of the Interior Ministry. Four out of the ten were punished for not showing appropriate reaction to the cases of family violence, while six for committing the family violence. Out of the six three have been dismissed,” Mezvrishvili said.
Mezvrishvili stated that the violators in the high risk group will have to wear electronic bracelets for a permanent police control.
The system will be launched until the end of the year,” Mezvrishvili stated.
Mezvrishvili also spoke about the discriminatory crimes and stated that in the past six months more than 50 individuals have been detained for committing such a crime.
Mezvrishvili said that the Interior Ministry has initiated the changes in parliament through which:
- Punishment for family valance will become tougher.
- Gender crime will be considered as an aggravated circumstance for certain crimes.
- Punishment will become tougher for repeated family crimes.
- For violation of a restrictive order an individual will face a criminal, not administrative responsibility.
Dubravka Simonovic, who was on her first official visit to Georgia, said violence against women should be spoken about in society instead of it being regarded as "private, family business”.
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