POLICY AND PRACTICE DEALING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES IN LITHUANIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17770/acj.v3i76.2860Abstract
Vardarbības ģimenē ierobežošana ir visu Eiropas valstu kriminālās justīcijas prioritāte. Pasākumi vardarbības ģimenē ierobežošanai pēdējos gados ir aktuāli arī Lietuvā. Šīs sociālās problēmas risināšanai ir pieņemts īpašs likums par aizsardzību no šādas vardarbības, kā arī izdarīti vairāki grozījumi krimināllikumā. Pētījuma, kura rezultāti atspoguļoti rakstā, mērķis bija analizēt tiesisko regulējumu, kā arī analizēt un novērtēt aktuālo praksi lietās par vardarbību ģimenē. Prakses analīzei izmantotas oficiālās statistikas ziņas, kā arī tiesībsargājošo iestāžu darbinieku intervijas. Kriminoloģiskas aptaujas ietvaros tika noskaidrots policijas darbinieku, prokuroru un tiesnešu viedoklis, kopumā aptaujājot 15 darbiniekus, kuri pieņem lēmumus lietās par vardarbību ģimenē. Katram intervējamajam tika uzdoti sekojoši jautājumi: tiesiskā regulējuma vērtējums, viedoklis par vardarbības ģimenē upura tiesību īstenošanas iespējām, priekšlikumi attiecībā uz vardarbības ģimenē prevenciju. Vardarbības ģimenē ierobežošanai būtu jābūt valsts atbildībai. Katrā konkrētajā gadījumā būtu jāveic nepieciešamais vardarbībā vainīgās personas izolēšanai no cietušā. Taču vardarbību nevar ierobežot tikai ar krimināltiesiskiem līdzekļiem. No rakstā atspoguļotajiem aptaujas rezultātiem izriet, ka tikai kompleksi veikti juridiska, sociāla un psiholoģiska rakstura pasākumi var radīt nepieciešamos apstākļus tāda konflikta risināšanai, kura pamatā ir vardarbība ģimenē.References
Van der Aa S., Niemi J., Sosa L., Ferreira A., Baldry A. Mapping the Legislation and Assessing the Impact of Protection Orders in the European Member States. Oisterwijk: Wolf Legal Publishers, 2015.
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul, 11.V.2011) [reviewed 2016-02-01]. <http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/convention-violence/convention/Convention%20210%20English.pdf>; Council of Europe. About the Istanbul Convention. [reviewed 2016-02-01] <http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/convention-violence/about_en.asp>. Lithuania has already signed but not ratified yet the Convention (for the time being).
European Commission. Special Eurobarometer 344 on Domestic Violence against Women. September 2010. [reviewed 2016-02-03] <http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_344_en.pdf>.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Violence against Women: an EU-wide Survey. 2014. [reviewed 2016-02-03] <http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2014-vaw-survey-main-results-apr14_en.pdf>.
Law on Protection against Domestic Violence. Valstybės žinios [State Gazette], 26 May 2011, No XI-1425. [reviewed 2016-02-04] <http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.showdoc_l?p_id=410975>.
Lietuvos Respublikos Baudžiamojo kodekso 140, 145, 148, 149, 150, 151, 165 straipsnių pakeitimo ir papildymo įstatymas [The Law on Amending and Supplementing Articles 140, 145, 148, 149, 150, 151, 165 of Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania]. Valstybės žinios [State Gazette], 2013, No. 75-3772. [reviewed 2016-02-04] <http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter2/dokpaieska.showdoc_l?p_id=452343>.
Płatek M. Karnoprawne modele przeciwdziałania przemocy w rodzinie [Penal Law Models for Family Violence Prevention]. Archiwum Kryminologii [Archives of Criminology], T. XXIX–XXX 2009, p. 601–616.
Since 2 July 2013 in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania some amendments were done:
- The Article 140 of the Criminal Code previously stating criminal liability generally for minor bodily injury was appended with infliction of negligible bodily injury or causing physical pain to a close relative or a family member (close relatives: parents, children, brothers, sisters; family member: spouse, cohabitant);
- The Article 145 of the Criminal Code stating criminal liability for threatening to murder or cause a grievous bodily injury or terrorisation of a person was appended with a stipulation that in the case of domestic violence pre-trial investigation must be started automatically (Supra note 6).
Supra note 1, p. 61, 64.
Directive 2011/99/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the European Protection Order, Official Journal of the European Union L 338, 21.12.2011.
Smurtą patyrusios aukos bus apsaugotos ir kitose ES valstybėse [Victims of Violence will be Also Protected in Other EU Countries]. [reviewed 2016-02-05] <http://www.tm.lt/naujienos/pranesimasspaudai/2206>.
Informatikos ir ryšių departamentas prie Lietuvos Respublikos Vidaus reikalų ministerijos. Duomenys apie nusikalstamas veikas, padarytas Lietuvos Respublikoje [Data on Criminal Offences Committed in the Republic of Lithuania]. [reviewed 2016-04-05] <http://www.ird.lt/statistines-ataskaitos/?metai=2014&menuo=12&idAta=1&rt=1&oldYear=2014&id=136&idStat=10®ionas=0&id3=1##Atas>.
Unfortunately, statistical data of offences related with domestic violence are being collected only from March, 2012 when the new Law on Protection against Domestic Violence came into force. In 2012 (from March) police recorded 4,361 domestic violence offences, in 2013 – 8,855 offences, in 2014 and 2015 the numbers of these offences slightly decreased and accounted respectively 8,264 and 7,561. Mostly these cases were qualified as causing physical pain or a negligible bodily injury (140 Art. CC). In 2012 3,519 domestic violence cases were qualified as bodily injury or causing physical pain, in 2013 – 7,498, in 2014 – 6,985, in 2015 – 6,615. However, trends and changes cannot be observed by analysing few years statistical data of domestic violence offences therefore in this article authors analysed general statistical data (Informatikos ir ryšių departamentas prie Lietuvos Respublikos Vidaus reikalų ministerijos. Duomenys apie ikiteisminio tyrimo įstaigose užregistruotas nusikalstamas veikas, įtariamus (kaltinamus) asmenis nusikalstamų veikų padarymu, susijusių su smurtu artimoje aplinkoje [Data on Recorded Criminal Offences, Persons’ Suspected of (Charged with) Domestic Violence Criminal Offences in the Pre-trial Investigation Institutions]. [reviewed 2016-04-05] <http://www.ird.lt/statistines-ataskaitos/?metai=2014&menuo=12&idAta=2&rt=1&oldYear=2014&id=136&idStat=10®ionas=0&id3=1##Atas>.
Official data of persons suspected of (charged with) domestic violence criminal offences shows that in the period of validity of Law from March, 2012 men accounted about 95 percent of all persons’ suspected of (charged with) domestic violence criminal offences (Supra note 13).
Zaksaitė S. Apsauga nuo smurto artimoje aplinkoje [Protection against Domestic Violence]. In L. Beliūnienė, K. Ambrezevičiūtė, et al. (eds.). Aktualiausios žmogaus teisių užtikrinimo Lietuvoje 2008-2013 m. problemos: teisinis tyrimas [The Most Relevant Problems of Ensuring of Human Rights in Lithuania 2008-2013: Legal Research], 2014, p. 67. [reviewed 2016-04-10] <http://www.teise.org/data/zmogaus-teises.-galutinis-2014-10-08.pdf>.
Release from criminal liability upon the victim and offender reconciliation can be applied when a person who commits a misdemeanour, a negligent crime or a minor or less serious premeditated crime satisfies all these conditions:
he has confessed to commission of the criminal act, and
voluntarily compensated for or eliminated the damage incurred to a natural or legal person or agreed on the compensation for or elimination of this damage, and
reconciles with the victim or a representative of a legal person or a state institution, and
there is a basis for believing that he will not commit new criminal acts (Lietuvos Respublikos baudžiamasis kodeksas [Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania]. Valstybės žinios [State Gazette], 2000, Nr. VIII-1968. [reviewed 2015-12-09] <http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.showdoc_l?p_id=494077>.
The penal order is a judgement without court proceedings. Penal order is applied only in cases when offender compensates or makes an agreement on compensation of damages if the damages were done (Lietuvos Respublikos baudžiamojo proceso kodeksas [Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Lithuania]. Valstybės žinios [State Gazette], 2002, Nr. IX-785. [reviewed 2015-12-09] <http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.showdoc_l?p_id=494011>. Commonly in practice the penal order is applied for minor offences when sanctions for offences are not high and among the sanctions imprisonment is not provided. The majority of domestic violence cases have such criteria.
Informatikos ir ryšių departamentas prie Lietuvos Respublikos Vidaus reikalų ministerijos. Duomenys apie nusikalstamų veikų tyrimo rezultatus Lietuvos Respublikos prokuratūrose [Data on Results of Criminal Offences in the Prosecution Service of the Republic of Lithuania]. [reviewed 2016-04-10] <http://www.ird.lt/statistines-ataskaitos/?metai=2014&menuo=12&idAta=2&rt=1&oldYear=2014&id=136&idStat=10®ionas=0&id3=1##Atas>.
Penal sanctions: 1) prohibition to exercise a special right; 2) deprivation of public rights; 3) prohibition to work a certain job or engage in a certain activities; 4) compensation for or elimination of property damage; 5) unpaid work; 6) payment of a contribution to the fund of victims of crime; 7) confiscation of property; 8) prohibition to approach the victim; 9) participation in the programmes addressing violent behaviour; 10) extended confiscation of property (Supra note 16).
