OPEN LETTER We petition urgent adoption of efficient monitoring measures for aggressors and unblocking Government draft bill to harmonize national legislation with the Istanbul Convention provisions
The Romanian Network to Prevent and Combat Violence against Women, including 25 national non-governmental organizations, petition the adoption of efficient monitoring measures for aggressors and unblocking the Government draft bill aimed at harmonizing the national legislation with the Istanbul Convention provisions.
On Friday, January 26, Nicoleta Botan was stabbed by her former partner, against whom she had obtained a protection order. The abuse took place at the Bucharest kindergarten where Nicoleta Botan was working and which their two children were attending. The woman died shortly afterwards. The same week, another woman, Alexandra Marin, was stabbed by the former partner, in the military service, while at a hair salon in Titu and she also died shortly afterwards. The soldier’s former wife stated that she had filed complaints with the police against him many times, though the police did not take any measures, and believes she is still alive because she decided to flee the country.
By means of this open letter we petition you to solicit a report to be issued by the Romanian Police regarding the number of protection orders violated in 2017 and the manner in which the obligation of the police to follow up on the observance of protection orders has been fulfilled in those cases. How many aggressors who broke the protection orders are under investigation for court order violation and how many defendants accused of the same violations have received prison sentences? Despite protection orders issued or complaints filed with the police against aggressors, women continue to be beaten and ultimately killed. The protection order was introduced in the legislation in 2012, but the Romanian Police communicated to us in August 2017: “At the level of the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police no working procedure has been developed concerning the implementation and supervision norms of protection orders in cases of family violence, in keeping with Law no. 217/2003, as republished. Nevertheless, at central level, office circular letters were sent to local structures regarding unitary action methodology.”
We also petition mandating a monitoring system of protection order observance by ensuring monitoring of aggressors by means of electronic monitoring bracelets, a measure proposed by previous governments and supported by our Network, which has not materialized so far. We deem it necessary to urgently adopt working procedures regarding the implementation and supervision norms of protection orders, in consultation with the civil society.
The draft bill (Proiectul de lege) for amending and completing Law no. 217/2003 on the prevention and combating family violence, as republished, with subsequent amendments and additions, was submitted to public debate in July 2017. The draft bill aims at introducing the emergency protection order (art.52, Istanbul Convention), issued by the policeman, following an efficient assessment instrument upon finding the acts of violence, apt to secure real and fast protection, ensuring access to justice for victims of violence, as well as adequate budgeting for shelters and counseling and support services. This draft bill has been signed by the previous cabinet and is to be signed again by the members of the new cabinet, to then be sent to Parliament.
During this time, when the Government of Romania keeps postponing the adoption of measures necessary for women’s safety and also postpones sending the draft bill to Parliament, an average of 39 women will file complaints to the police, every day, for hitting or other acts of violence by a family member. Every four days, there will be a case filed with the police, where a minor has been raped by a family member. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that 25% of homicides recorded at national level in 2015 took place in the family.
The signatories of this petition are the nongovernmental organizations member of The Romanian Network to Prevent and Combat Violence against Women / Rețeaua pentru Prevenirea și Combaterea Violenței împotriva Femeilor (Rețeaua VIF):
- Asociaţia TRANSCENA, Bucureşti
- Asociaţia Femeilor Împotriva Violenţei ARTEMIS, Cluj-Napoca
- Fundaţia SENSIBLU, București
- Asociaţia GRADO – Grupul Român pentru Apărarea Drepturilor Omului, Bucureşti
- Fundaţia Centrul Parteneriat pentru Egalitate, Bucureşti
- Asociatia pentru Libertate şi Egalitate de Gen, A.L.EG., Sibiu
- Asociaţia Centrul FILIA, Bucureşti
- Asociaţia FRONT, Bucureşti
- Asociaţia ANAIS, București
- E-ROMNJA – Asociația pentru Promovarea Drepturilor Femeilor Rome, București
- Institutul Est European pentru Sănătatea Reproducerii – IEESR, Tg. Mureş
- Fundaţia Centrul de Mediere şi Securitate Comunitară – CMSC, Iași
- Asociația PAS ALTERNATIV, Braşov
- Asociaţia pentru Promovarea Femeilor din România, Timişoara
- Societatea Doamnelor Bucovinene, Suceava
- Asociația ATENA DELPHI, Cluj-Napoca
- Asociația SEVA – Șanse egale – Valoare – Autoritate, Suceava
- Asociația SPICC – Solidaritate, Participare, Incluziune, Comunicare, Cooperare, Timișoara
- Asociatia Quantic, București
- Asociația All for Family, Constanța
- Asociația Femeilor Universitare, București
- Asociația VIS, Constanța
- Asociația Psihosfera, Brașov
- Asociatia Business Professional Women -Romania
- Asociația Szentkereszty Stephanie Egyesület
The open letter is supported by:
- Timișoara Civică
- Asociația Pieces of Heaven, Timișoara
- Federația Inițiativa Timișoara
- Asociația Arsens Timișoara
- Asociația Culturală Diogene, Timișoara
- Asociația LGBTeam, Timișoara
- Societatea de Analize Feministe – AnA
- Asociația Plural
- Asociația MozaiQ LGBT
- Asociația E-Civis
- MCA România
- Asociația Tineri pentru Tineri
- Fundația Județeană pentru Tineret Timiș (FITT)
- Asociația Civicus România
- Asociația Romano ButiQ
- Alianța Națională a Organizațiilor Studențești din România
- Asociația Mișcarea civică “Miliția spirituală”
- Asociația Carusel
- MRC- Median Research Centre
- Asociației Studenților la Sociologie și Asistență Socială (AS-SAS UB).
- Asociația Ateliere fără Frontiere
- CeRe: Centrul de Resurse pentru Participare Publică
- Asociația Funky Citizens
- Asociația Human Catalyst
- Fundația Agenția Împreună
- Fundația Policy Center for Roma and Minorities
- Societatea Națională de Cruce Roșie- Filiala Brașov
- Asociația Diversitate
- Asociația Sens Pozitiv
- Asociația Viitorul Tinerilor
- Federatia ONG Muntenia
- Centrul pentru Studiul Democrației
- Salvați Copiii România
- Grupul pentru Dialog Social
- Romanian Harm Reduction Network
- Asociației A.R.T. Fusion
- Institutul de Politici Publice – IPP
- Centrul European pentru Drepturile Copiiilor cu Dizabilități – CEDCD
- Consiliul Tineretului din România
- Centrul Euroregional pentru Inițiative Publice – ECPI
- Asociația Umanistă Română
- Asociația Psihologilor Atestați din România- A.P.A.R.,
- Asociația Fii Iubire Neconditionata- A.F.I.N.
- Societatea Civilă Profesională de Psihologie Jardan și Asociații, Brașov
- Asociatia WORLD Delta, Brașov
- Asociatia Comunitară Centrul Educațional Sofia,Brașov
- Fundația Agapedia România
- Cabinet Individual de Asistență Socială- reprezentat prin As. Soc. Daniela Lupu
- Cabinet de avocatură Enescu Rodica
- Societatea civilă de avocați Ștefănescu-Goangă & Asociații – prin avocat Liliana Ștefănescu-Goangă
- Societatea Națională de Cruce Roșie – filiala sector 3 București
- Asociația Active Watch
- Centrul de Studii în Idei Politice – CeSiP
- Sexul vs. Barza
- Asociația Accept
- Community Aid Network Brașov
- Fundația pentru Asistență Socială și Tineret FAST
- Asociația pentru Educația Permanentă a Adulților EDUCADULT
- Asociația APADOR-CH
- Centrul de Resurse Juridice
- Asociația ARAS
- Platforma RESPECT
- ASUR – Asociația Secular-Umanistă din România.
- Inițiativa România
- Cabinet individual de psihologie Dana Militaru
- Centrul pentru Inovare Publică
- În comunitate – Timișoara
- ARAS – filiala Brașov
- ARAS – filiala Timișoara
- Cabinet psihologic individual Spiridon Olga
- Asociația Glasul Prieteniei Brașov
- Asociatiei Femeilor Romance din Italia – ADRI
- Asociatia Pro Office Tmisoara
- Asociatia Mutatis Mutandis Bacau
- Centrul European pentru Educatie si Cercetare Juridica (ECLER)
- Pride Romania Cluj
- Asociația Voci pentru Democrație și Justiție – VeDemJust
- Asociația V.I.V.A.D. Cluj