"The law unties the hands"

In Russia, they discuss the possible consequences of the adoption of the law on decriminalization of beatings in the family, which was signed on February 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin. This law transfers beatings against close relatives from criminal offenses to the category of administrative offenses, if such misconduct was committed for the first time. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, in 2016, five thousand children and ten thousand women suffered from family beatings. The statistics have not changed much since 2015. Experts fear that after the adoption of the law, the number of cases of domestic violence will increase.

The law was signed on February 7, and the authorities of Yekaterinburg have already recorded a sharp increase in the number of calls to the police from the victims of domestic violence. Perhaps this was also influenced by the decriminalization of beatings, for which only administrative liability is provided for the first time. The head of Yekaterinburg Evgeny Roizman wrote on his FB page.

The adopted law on the decriminalization of the beatings in the family will lead to what the adopted law will lead to what the adopted laws could be associated with, Evgeny Roizman told Radio Liberty:

Maybe women began to be more afraid

- So far, it is too early to explain it. On all channels, we had a very strong controversy on the adoption of this law. And it is quite possible that just the topic is hearing. Maybe women and potential victims began to be more afraid, so for any reason they began to contact. Maybe that I would not want, but quite possibly, the psychological barrier was removed - that is, it was impossible before, but now it became possible. But in the end, this can be discussed later, when like statistics, we will see, see, understand.

-Do you have any information about how the police relate to the decriminalization of beatings in the family: are they happy, perplexed, sad?

The law unleashes hands - it was impossible before, but it became possible

- Those who work "in the field", directly with people, believe that the law is not good. They believe that this law will work in minus. They believe that this law unleashes hands precisely for the reason that it was impossible before, but it became possible. In addition to the direct action of the law, there is a very powerful indirect action, which is called a preventive effect. And when criminal liability is provided for some act, this is a very serious barrier for the offender. And this barrier is now removed. I say this from the outside, we will really see later. But police officers are afraid and afraid that over time the crimes will become harder. After some time, we will begin to understand this.

- In your opinion, what may be the consequences of the adoption of this law?

- The consequences can be such that everything will go a little differently from how we would like, and you will have to return everything back. This happens. In fact, as I understand it, the task of the law is to bring out such cases from criminal proceedings, somewhere to get rid of abuse (although abuses are now more in this plane).

- Do women come to you with complaints about family violence? If so, in what families, according to your observations, this happens most often?

- They rarely come with this. Much more often come in a different situation, when an alcoholic son or addict hits, takes a pension, does not give life. This is a very common situation. And due to the imperfection of our legislation, parents, grandparents, just nearby, become hostages of drug addicts or alcoholics. And about direct family violence - they do not go with this, ”said the head of Yekaterinburg Evgeny Roizman.

Boris Altshuler

About what consequences should be expected from the adoption of a new law and how to actually fight domestic violence, in an interview with Radio Liberty said human rights activist Boris Altshuler :

Punishment is not a prevention of violence and beatings

- I do not think that the number of beatings in the family will increase sharply. I want to emphasize that nothing terrible happened, although the very idea of such a law is absolutely ridiculous. This is some kind of perversion. Just State Duma deputies and senator Elena Mizulina do completely not what they need. Just to disgust! This inability of the deputy corps to adopt really necessary laws to help family, children, in order to preserve the family, help the family, prevent these terrible cases of violence ... Because the punishment, in whatever form, is not a prevention of violence, beatings.

- Why?

Such things are done under a hot hand, a drunken bench

- Such things are performed, as a rule, under a hot hand, along a drunken bench and so on. A person does not think at this time about the criminal, administrative or what other punishment awaits him. He does not think at all. Just a heavy hand, but here a child who announces does not obey, something else ... Most Russian parents are simply not able to talk with children, treat them in jandar. They only require subordination. Hence violence.

- Why did the State Duma adopted this law?

This is politics and playing traditional family values

“I can only say that this is politicism.” This is a game of "traditional family values." Because if you really take these values, then no Elena Borisovna Mizulina could never become a deputy, but would sit at home, in a barn or somewhere with children, and her husband would have beat her every day. These are traditional family values. Does Elena Borisovna want this?

- You said that most of the beatings are under a hot hand. Now, such a person will open a newspaper or site and read that for the first such crime he will not be. In principle, do you think this measure will affect the number of crimes? Or nothing will happen?

- Nothing will happen. Just because even before where it happened, all these articles of the Code were ignored. This was rarely used. Nothing will happen. But you still need to write in gold letters at the State Duma, on the SF prevention, social prevention, help to the family. There are no these mechanisms. We have a guardianship, an administrative body, a command, there are minors' commission commissions. But they are completely unrelated to social protection. All these issues should be resolved by local government. A crisis situation in the family arose, bad signals come. We went, worked, helped, unleashed some family conflicts, sent to the family crisis center ... Family psychologists who work with the family should not be involved in this, do not scream, do not command, do not take away children, but simply can talk humanly. This is very few. And at the local level, in general, this is not spelled out anywhere in the laws. And this is the first thing to do. This is the best prevention of violence. We absolutely do not have a system of assistance to families and children, because there are no laws about it. That would be what the deputies were concerned about! There are developed proposals. But they are not interested. They are engaged in politics, ”says human rights activist Boris Altshuler.

Elena Mizulina

For the first time, beatings committed in relation to short people were decriminalized in the summer of 2016, but the same crimes against relatives remained a criminal offense. After that, Senator Elena Mizulina called for decriminal and beatings against loved ones. According to a recent VTsIOM survey, most Russians condemn physical violence, but support the initiative to soften the punishment for the first case of beating. This was stated by 59% of respondents.

On February 12, a rally against the decriminalization of beatings in the family will take place in the Moscow Park "Sokolniki". The permission of the authorities to hold the action was received on the third attempt even after the so -called "slap law" was adopted by the parliament and signed by the President of Russia.