Bill passed in final reading on electronic surveillance to prevent domestic violence
The bill was proposed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Georgian parliament has passed a bill in its third and final reading today which allows for the use of electronic surveillance to prevent domestic violence.
The bill, which was voted on by 79 MPs in the 150-member parliament, says that possible perpetrators of domestic violence and their targets will have to wear electronic surveillance bracelets for one month if there is a high chance of repeated violence.
The Interior Ministry representative will be able to request electronic surveillance measures from a court while issuing a restraining order or any time if there is the necessity.
The court will have 24 hours to approve/deny the request.
A possible perpetrator will be banned from visiting the sites the possible target appears at.
If the possible perpetrator and his/her target accidentally appear close to each other, 112 personnel will inform them and demand they leave the site (one of them).
The victim or their legal representative must give consent for the electronic surveillance measure to be used.
If a possible perpetrator refuses to wear the bracelet and goes into hiding, he/she will be declared wanted by police.
The perpetrator will face criminal prosecution if he/she attempts to avoid the electronic surveillance or violates the mandatory rules of using the bracelet.
The electronic surveillance will be possible only inside the country.
A large-scale campaign to combat violence against women in Georgia will be launched, reports the press office of the Government Administration. The Ministries of Justice, Interior, Regional Development, Health, Education and the Prosecutor’s Office will be involved in the campaign.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvii met with representatives of the public, local non-governmental and international organisations to discuss steps to be taken against domestic violence in the country.
4,564 individuals were charged for domestic violence and crimes throughout Georgia in 2019, Deputy Interior Minister Nino Tsatsiashvili said at a briefing today.
Both possible perpetrators and their targets may have to wear electronic surveillance bracelets to avoid crimes after the police issue a restraining order, a bill drafted by the Georgian Interior Ministry reads.
Georgian law enforcers have imposed an electronic surveillance against an individual, identified only as G.K., accused of domestic violence against his minor family member.