More than 132,600 domestic violence cases reviewed

From the beginning of the enforcement of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (1 June 2017) until the end of January 2020, competent authorities review more than 132,600 cases of domestic violence. Competent prosecutor’s offices filed 46,690 motions for the extension of urgent measures, whereas courts approved such motions in 45,994 cases.

In the same period, competent prosecutor’s offices organised 7,393 regular meetings of coordination and cooperation groups comprised of representatives of all relevant institutions, notably prosecutor’s offices, social work centres and the police. Depending on the complexity of the case, these groups were joined by representatives of health and educational institutions, the National Employment Agency and the civil sector. The groups developed 39,004 individual plans for support and protection of domestic violence victims. The number of these plans is on the rise every year, which is particularly significant as they are victim-specific.

An analysis of the data on the work of institutions responsible for the enforcement of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act reveals that the number of motions for the extension of urgent measures is growing by year. Specifically, in the Act’s third year of enforcement there were 1,460 motions more than in the second year, and as many as 3,101 motions more than in the first year of enforcement. This development indicates that institutions are now more sensitised and responding better to reported violence.

The number of meetings held by coordination and cooperation groups is also steadily increasing. In the Act’s third year of enforcement there were 39 meetings more than in the second year, and as many as 298 meetings more than in the first year of enforcement.

When it comes to the number of reviewed cases, this figure is also increasing by year. To illustrate, 29,391 reported cases were reviewed over eight months of the Act’s first year of enforcement, 31,900 cases over the same period of the second year, and as many as 36,456 cases over the same period of the third year of enforcement.

In addition, Serbia has aligned its legislation with the Istanbul Convention and introduced four new criminal offences to improve criminal legal protection of women.

Domestic violence and violence against women is a phenomenon faced by countries globally. It requires a response by the state at all levels. The above data demonstrate that the Serbian state is determined to deal with this issue, with victims increasingly putting their trust in institutions and feeling empowered to report violence.