Domestic violence does not solve problems

September 16, 2024

In recent years, domestic violent crime has been attracting increasing attention from the public and law enforcement agencies. It represents one of the most common and socially dangerous forms of aggression, as a significant portion of all serious violent crimes are committed within the family.

In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Fundamentals of Crime Prevention Activities" dated January 4, 2014, domestic violence is understood as intentional physical, psychological, or sexual actions by a family member towards another family member, which violate their rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests, and cause them physical and/or psychological suffering.

Often, domestic conflicts occur even in families considered respectable, where "quiet" violence is sometimes perpetrated. Citizens who are subjected to it do not dare to seek help, fearing damage to the family's reputation or loss of livelihood.

One of the main causes of domestic crime is alcoholism, which causes enormous material and moral damage to society, complicates the demographic situation in the republic, and contributes to a decrease in population.

It is no coincidence that the vast majority of offenders who have violated public order or committed crimes against individuals on the grounds of domestic relations have either consistently consumed alcoholic beverages prior to the offense or were intoxicated at the time of committing the act.

In accordance with Part 1 of Article 147 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as the CC), intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, i.e., harm that is dangerous to life, or results in loss of sight, speech, hearing, any organ or loss of its functions, abortion, mental disorder (illness), other health disorder combined with a persistent loss of general work capacity of at least one-third, or causes a health disorder associated with skeletal bone injury for a period exceeding four months, or is expressed in indelible disfigurement of the face or neck.

To conclude, a recent example from practice.

In January of the current year, the prosecutor's office of the Glubokoe district supported the state prosecution against a resident of the Glubokoe district, O., who intentionally caused grievous bodily harm. The actions of the accused were qualified under Part 1 of Article 147 of the CC.

During the judicial investigation, it was established that on August 26, 2021, at approximately 8:28 PM, while in a state of alcoholic intoxication, at his place of residence, citizen O. intentionally, during a quarrel that arose due to personal animosity, with a single intent to cause grievous bodily harm, struck his brother V. no less than six times with his hand to the head and no less than two times with his foot to the chest.

By his criminal actions, O. caused the victim a closed blunt trauma to the left side of the chest with a fracture of the 10th rib and damage to the left lung, which is classified as grievous bodily harm due to being life-threatening.

Taking into account the position of the state prosecutor regarding citizen O., the court rendered a guilty verdict and imposed a punishment in the form of restriction of liberty with placement in an open-type correctional institution for a term of 3 years and 6 months.

The verdict has entered into legal force.

 

Assistant Prosecutor

Gluboksky District                                                                 A.N. Kurilenok