Russia to DECRIMINALISE domestic violence to ‘stop families wasting police time’
RUSSIA is about to decriminalise domestic violence in a controversial move one politician claims will stop families “wasting police time”.
Yelena Mizulina backed the legislation to declassify domestic violence
The country has already downgraded assault and battery that do not lead to actual bodily harm.
And now domestic violence crimes will also be dropped from a criminal to an administrative offence after a decriminalisation bill passed its first reading on Wednesday.
A total of 368 lawmakers voted in favour of the shocking bill, with just one person voting against and one abstaining.
But the proposal has come under heavy criticism from women’s rights activists, who claim the new legislation will make victims of domestic violence even more vulnerable.
A total of 368 lawmakers voted in favour of the shocking bill
Around 26,000 children are affected by the issue
In Russia, 40 per cent of all serious violent crimes are committed within the family, with weak and vulnerable members such as woman, children and the elderly being targeted as victims.
Domestic violence attacks account for assaults against 36,000 women and 26,000 children - and Russia has already been criticised by the UN for their failure to promote women’s rights.
Yet under the proposed rule, the charge of “battery within the family” would become an administrative one - punished with a fine, community service or a brief prison term.
You don’t want people to be imprisoned for two years and labelled a criminal for the rest of their lives for a slap
Criminal charges would still be laid if the offence is committed two or more times in one year - but the law
Yelena Mizulina, the conservative politician who also successfully pushed Russia’s “gay propaganda” rules, was behind the move.
She began the process of introducing the bill in August last year after she claimed: “You don’t want people to be imprisoned for two years and labelled a criminal for the rest of their lives for a slap.”
The ultra-conservative Russian lawmaker added the change was necessary to bring domestic violence offences into line with other battery charges which were declassified in 2016.
The country has already downgraded assault and battery
Australian MP delivers emotional speech on domestic violence
In a speech to the Duma on Wednesday, Ms Mizulina said: “In the traditional family culture in Russia, parent-child relationships are built on the authority of the parents’ power.
“The laws should support that family tradition.
“If you slap your mischievous kid, you’re threatened with up to two years, but if your neighbour beats your child — everything ends with an administrative punishment.
“How many more families will waste police resources, while the duma discusses the proposed changes?”
But despite all but one person voting in favour of the laws in the Duma yesterday, the legislation has not been met with praise from all Russian citizens.
Domestic violence attacks account for assaults against 36,000 women
A Change.org petition opposing the new law has already gathered more than 174,000 signatures since it was set up on Tuesday.
Founder Alena Popova said: “Every 12 minutes in Russia someone beats a member of their family.
“These lawmakers believe that fines for domestic tyrants is better than criminal liability.
“These people didn't propose legislation that would improve the court system or the law enforcement, they just supported transferring liability into fines.
“It means that an offender will now beat his relatives and pay a small fine.”