Law on Prevention and Protection against Domestic Violence

Brief Description

The Prevention and Protection against Domestic Violence Law was passed on 27 April 2017 (No. 63). The law aims to improve the institutional and legal framework for prevention of and response to domestic violence. It is based on international standards and outlines fundamental principles that responsible government agencies are required to follow. The number of such responsible government agencies has increased as compared to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Social and Legal Protection Against Domestic Violence of 2003. The new law targets 11 responsible government agencies and not only defines their specific tasks, but also provides mechanisms for inter-ministerial coordination and cooperation. For example, there is a mechanism requiring that all victims of domestic violence receive necessary legal, medical and psychological assistance, social support and consultations. The target population groups under this law are both women with experience of domestic violence and children and other family members that are vulnerable and thus prone to higher risks, e.g. older people and persons with disabilities. The law also contains innovative norms: law enforcement agencies are required at all times to respond to all reports of domestic violence no matter from whom they were received, i.e., not only from violence victims; a single protection order was introduced to replace two different types of orders (a temporary protective order and a court order); and intervention programmes for domestic abusers were introduced for the first time ever with the aim of changing abusive behavior.

Budget support to implement the law includes (1) funding of responsible implementers, i.e. ministries and agencies, within their respective mandates under the law, and (2) funding of crisis centers under the Social Service Procurement Contract Programme (300,000 to 700,000 soms are annually provided to four crisis centers of the Kyrgyz Republic).