Lawyer consults and directs victims of home abuse

Friday, 11 December 2015 14:16 |

Victims of home abuse can receive a free consultation at Fund IGA where Bureau for consulting, directing, and support within Project “Against the Invisible Violence” has been functioning since May 2015. The Project has been funded by the Ministry of Justice by virtue of article 19, paragraph 3 from the Regulation for enforcing the Law for Protection against Home Abuse.

Up to now 8 juridical consultations of clients of the Bureau have been delivered. Some of the questions that the victims ask most often are: What should the form to the court that summons issuing an order of protection include? What are the measures for protection against home abuse? Who can ask the court for protection under the Law for Protection against Home Abuse? Is a forensic medicine certificate that proves home abuse necessary? Do people need to pay state tax on trials of home abuse? Are there any programmes for prevention and protection against home abuse? Who is authorized to summon issuing of an order of protection? What means of evidence are acceptable with trials under the Law for Protection against Home Abuse? Does LPHM allow any possibilities for immediate protection of a victim?, etc.

Almost all consultations begin with elaborating on the most important question: What is home abuse and what protection can LPHM provide to the victims? Home abuse is clearly defined in the Law as follows: “Home abuse is every act of physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, or economic abuse as well as every attempt for such abuse, forced restriction of personal life, personal freedom, and personal rights committed against people with kinship ties or people who are or have been in a family relationship or a factual matrimony (2). For a psychological and emotional abuse of a child is considered every home abuse committed in his/her presence.”