Prevention of offenses in the sphere of family and domestic relations

October 27, 2021

From October 25 to 30, 2021, a special comprehensive event "Domestic Sphere" is being held in the Gluboksky district.

Family and domestic relations are hidden from prying eyes. When constant family scandals escalate into tragedy, only then do they become public and end in punishment. However, family rowdies often manage to evade responsibility due to the leniency of the victimized family members and the indifference of neighbors. That is precisely why one of the main tasks of the police in combating "domestic" crime is to foster an active life position among citizens and intolerance towards the slightest manifestations of domestic violence.

Many victims of family rowdies feel dependent on them. Due to constant beatings and humiliation, they are broken and therefore often resign themselves to their fate and endure suffering throughout their lives. This happens for various reasons: some fear publicity, changes in social status, or condemnation, while others fear instability in life (often it is the lack of housing or means of subsistence that forces victims to endure violence for many years). This is precisely what domestic aggressors exploit. For them, the victim's fear is the main lever of control over her.

The identification and suppression of domestic offenses are one form of prevention and warning of more serious crimes against the life and health of citizens, especially those committed in the sphere of domestic relations. However, conducting prevention without the desire of the victims themselves is not an easy task. And it is a pity that not many people understand the full importance of responsibility for so-called "minor offenses." Impunity leads to an increase in the offender's self-esteem and impunity for their unlawful actions, which in turn can lead to irreparable consequences.

The protective order, which establishes restrictions on certain actions for an individual who has committed domestic violence, is a tool for individual prevention of offenses committed in the sphere of family and domestic relations, in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Fundamentals of Crime Prevention Activities". In accordance with the Law, a protective order obliges an individual who has committed domestic violence to temporarily leave the dwelling shared with the victim of domestic violence, to refrain from communicating with them, and prohibits the disposal of jointly owned property for a period of 3 to 30 days. An individual who violates the requirements of a protective order faces liability in the form of a fine of up to ten basic units, or community service, or administrative arrest.

Large-scale measures aimed at preventing offenses in the sphere of family and domestic relations are carried out jointly with interested departments. In 2021, police officers, for the purpose of placing individuals on preventive record, brought 141 persons abusing alcoholic beverages to a narcologist at the "Glubokoye Central Regional Hospital" for medical examination. In total, the court made decisions on isolation in a treatment and rehabilitation center (TRC) for 16 individuals, including 4 women. There are 92 individuals on preventive record in the Department of Internal Affairs, of which: 65 have been brought to administrative responsibility for offenses committed while intoxicated, 27 have been brought to administrative responsibility for offenses committed in the sphere of family and domestic relations, and 35 protective orders have been issued against individuals who have committed domestic violence.

In order to provide assistance to individuals in a crisis state (who have been subjected to psychophysical violence), employees of the Department of Internal Affairs, when responding to reports of conflicts in the sphere of family and domestic relations, offer victims of domestic violence to seek temporary shelter in a "crisis room".

Senior Prevention Inspector of the Glubokoye Department of Internal Affairs V.L. Kukovenkov