The Commission in charge of monitoring and examination of domestic violence cases leading to death or severe bodily harm to victims met in a regular meeting. The purpose was to address the systemic issues detected following the examination of 58 cases falling within the Commission’s remit in 2023.
The meeting was chaired by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and chair of the Commission, Daniella Misail-Nichitin.
Among the topics discussed during the meeting were:
- Examination of cases falling within the remit of the Commission based on the findings of the working groups;
- Issues and gaps in adjudication of cases of domestic violence leading to death, as well as the opportunity to initiate measures to standardize judicial practices;
- Challenges related to the qualification of criminal cases of domestic violence involving special subjects, including family members and relatives;
- Examination of issues related to fulfillment of probation obligations in domestic violence cases.
Moreover, the assessment included an examination of actions undertaken by relevant professionals to reduce alcohol and drug consumption, identified as a contributing factor to domestic violence.
The Commission members highlighted the need to enhance the capabilities of multidisciplinary teams and strengthen their involvement in referral of domestic violence cases for intervention, with each professional contributing based on their expertise. In this regard, the discussions centered on potential solutions to enhance mechanisms for developing integrated services as part of the RESTART reform. This reform aims to ensure fair access to high-quality social services and broaden their reach.
Another important issue tackled during the meeting was the mechanism for referring children at risk and its application.
Finally, the Commission reviewed, refined and validated the draft Data Collection Form for the domestic violence cases falling under its remit.
Towards the end of the meeting, the Commission members highlighted the need to communicate the identified issued to the working group created by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection for harmonization of legislation on prevention and combating domestic violence based on the findings of the ex-post report on the measures and services for children with deviant behavior prepared by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the recommendations of GREVIO experts.
