“He beats so that the beatings cannot be removed”: the story of a victim of domestic violence
More than 291,000 cases of domestic violence were registered by the National Police of Ukraine in 2023. This is 20% more than in 2022. The number of registered criminal offences increased by 80% (from 1498 to 2701). In addition, 36% more administrative offenses were detected.
According to forecasts of the Analytical Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for 2024, the number of administrative offenses is expected to increase to 21%, and criminal to 30%. In just two months of 2024, 56% more criminal offenses related to domestic violence were registered in Ukraine.
One of the women, who suffered psychological, physical and economic violence for two years, works as a civil servant. Every day she hesitates whether to get home. “I live in a house with my mom and brother. But I don't keep my documents, valuables and money there. I can not leave the house in the morning, in the evening I can not go and everything will stay in the house. Brother may not let me out, lock me up, just not let me into the hut. Or says: “Half an hour, and you shouldn't be here,” says the 61-year-old woman.
For the first time, the victim turned to the police for help in 2020. Then her father died and the woman decided to move in with her 88-year-old mother to care for her. Her 63-year-old brother also lived in her parents' house.
By fraudulent means, he tried to seize the documents for the parental home and, by proxy, receives his mother's pension. Because of this, there was a conflict between the brother and sister and he beat the woman.
“He hit me hard then. I wrote a statement to the department. There was an administrative fine. But it did not stop him, he continued to beat me,” says the victim.
The next time the woman applied to the law enforcement agencies in August 2022. Then the patience ran out again.
“I came home. It was a Sunday. I went into the house. He started yelling at me, calling, cursing and hitting. Hit once, hit the second. I was frightened, I did not call the mobile brigade “102”, but ran to my sister. She lives nearby. I went to her and she called the police. He tries to beat so that the beatings can not be removed. Usually hits the head,” recalls the victim.
That day, he broke a woman's arm. According to the victim, the goal of the abuser is to survive her from her parents' home. For two years, the police constantly supported and provided the necessary assistance to the woman. During 2022, 11 protocols were drawn up for the offender. Criminal proceedings are initiated under Art. 126 and 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Now the case is sent to court. The first hearing has already taken place.
Due to the fact that such cases are far from isolated, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine together with the people's deputies initiated amendments to the Code of Ukraine on administrative offenses to strengthen responsibility for persons who committed domestic violence or violence on the basis of sex.
Draft Law No. 8329 “On Amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses in connection with the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and Combating These Phenomena (Istanbul Convention)” proposes to strengthen responsibility for domestic violence gender-based violence or violence. This includes, in particular, a doubling of fines for committing domestic violence and increasing the size of fines for failure to comply with an urgent prohibition order.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
