According to the Russian proverb, before wedding it is necessary to look at both, and after that almost anything not to pay attention. If the law is passed, decriminalizing domestic violence, has already passed its first reading in the state Duma, in the first case, beatings by close relatives, not leading to the consequences will follow only administrative punishment. The purpose of this law is “protection of the family”.
But even in Russian society, so long living in a state of lethargy, the moment of awakening. A few months ago, Russian journalist Anna Generowicz broke the General silence and protested after her ex-boyfriend stabbed her beatings. Anna wrote a statement to the police.
She was asked a number of questions, as if she were guilty of the beatings. Her abuser in the questioning is not called, the case was closed, and when she tried to get it re-initiation, she said that the dossier was lost. He joined the magazine W-O-S’, the journalist decided to talk about this case. In Facebook, she received a disappointing response: hundreds of women wrote, what happened to them the same thing: “for the most part they sought support, because even their mothers we can’t talk about their personal relationship.”
According to the data released by the Ministry of internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in 2008, annually in Russia from domestic violence are killed between 12 and 14 thousand women. Information for subsequent years, the Ministry did not provide. As stated by a young Moscow lawyer Julia Denisova, “looks like we have no laws that protect the rights of women, perhaps men are afraid to take the law in their favor.” According to the national center for the prevention of violence “Anna”, the probability of dying at the hands of her husband from the Russians is 2.5 times higher than that of American women and 5 times higher than that of women of EU.
“When I stated to the police, too, have heard many angry phrases about the ruin of ‘traditional values’ and pull out messy Belle,” recalls 30-year-old Gavrilovic, considering this is a characteristic reaction of ordinary people, protecting his “fragile world of ideas” from the arguments that could destroy it: “They are too scared to believe in justice.”
It often happens that accusations are turned against the women themselves. And then sounds another well-known Russian proverb: “Beats — means loves”. If this law is passed, the problem will lie not only in society but also in the norms that ought to protect him.
Criminal liability will occur only if you have already received an administrative penalty broke the middle again in the course of the year, and the injured party can prove the harm, simply because on duty, the justice system in such cases will not apply.
One step forward, two steps back
The draft law is aimed at eliminating ambiguous interpretation of the provisions of the Criminal code of the Russian Federation, which emerged as a result of the adoption in July of 2016 the law on liability for battery against loved ones. this document was reviewed by President Putin last year. A great achievement was that in the article of the Criminal code on domestic violence introduced the concept of “close relatives”.
A lawyer and member of the working group on drafting a Federal law on prevention of domestic violence Mari Davtyan count to 40 when he made a law against gender-based violence, and voting on it has not happened. Last summer there was a “miracle”, and domestic violence was recognized as a crime.
The initiative of the conservative legislators can turn it back, and the victims will have to collect all the evidence that they have received beatings, and attend all court hearings to prove it, and the government would like to observe this from the outside. And all this despite the fact that 90% of those few women who apply statements to the police in the end are not on trial.
Deputies of the state Duma supported in the first reading amendments to the criminal code abolishing the punishment for family assault. In support of the bill said the 386 MPs, one voted against and one abstained.
In accordance with the adopted document, the possibility of criminal prosecution for beatings of close relatives committed once in the course of the year, “not entailing consequences” and accordingly confirmed by a medical report. For it is established only administrative penalties: a fine of 30 thousand rubles, detention for 15 days, or correctional labor.
This wall of misunderstanding on the issue of gender-based violence also extends to other former Soviet republics. George Fellows was organized in Kyrgyzstan, the campaign against the brutal treatment of women, and as a result, “many men have accused him of breaking traditions.” In Russia, the Commissioner for children’s rights Pavel Astakhov has confirmed that the too frequent use of the concept ‘domestic violence’ leads to the intimidation of families and parents.”
A successful journalist Gavrilovic, who now works in the magazine TimeOut, believes that the problem lies in society itself. “In the last three years the government talks about a return to so-called traditional values, that, in fact, is only a beautiful name of the Patriarchal structure. And the country flourished reproductive violence: a woman is considered only from the point of view of its biological function, as a hen”. Therefore, “if you’re not pretty enough, your husband will not be satisfied. And no wonder he beats you and humiliates”. But still, this reticence begins to dissipate: “Before the government pretended that there was no violence, and women did not dare to report it to law enforcement agencies”.
