Arpine Sargsyan, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, presented the Government’s position on a package of draft amendments to the Law “On the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence and the Protection of Persons Subjected to Domestic and Family Violence” and related laws at an extraordinary session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on the Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs.

The package was developed as part of a large-scale campaign against domestic violence initiated by Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the Prime Minister. Arpine Sargsyan expressed her gratitude to the authors of the initiative and members of the Civil Contract faction in the National Assembly for advancing this important legislative initiative.

According to the Minister, the Government is fundamentally supportive of the draft legislative package and has submitted proposals aimed primarily at improving specific provisions. She emphasized that the package abolishes the warning as a protective measure for persons subjected to domestic and family violence, as this measure is considered ineffective. Instead, in cases where a warning is not issued, individuals who have committed acts of violence should be placed on the Police’s preventive register. This would allow the Police to continue monitoring individuals who have committed acts of violence.

Arpine Sargsyan emphasized that one of the key features of the package is the institutionalization of rehabilitation programs aimed at changing the behavior of individuals who have committed acts of violence.

According to the Minister, efforts to combat domestic violence cannot be limited to protecting victims alone. The state must also work with individuals who have committed acts of violence, supporting their resocialization and behavioral change in order to prevent further acts of violence by those individuals. In this regard, the importance of implementing rehabilitation programs was highlighted both after the Police identifies a case of violence and in the course of criminal proceedings, alongside the sentence imposed.

Minister Sargsyan emphasized the importance of legal provisions aimed at ensuring a more consistent state response to cases of domestic violence and reducing the burden of responsibility placed on victims.

According to Arpine Sargsyan, victims often refrain from contacting law enforcement authorities due to fear, social dependence, concerns involving their children, or other circumstances. They may also subsequently reconcile with the perpetrators and refrain from reporting the violence. In this context, the Minister highlighted the importance of the draft legislative package’s proposal to eliminate the possibility of avoiding criminal liability on the grounds of reconciliation or active repentance, emphasizing that the risk of repeated violence must be taken into account in such cases.

The draft legislative package also proposes adopting the general principle that victims should not be forced to leave their place of residence as a result of violence. Instead, priority should be given to assessing the effectiveness of removing the perpetrator from the victim’s residence. A person subjected to violence should be relocated to a shelter only if their safety cannot be ensured while they remain in their permanent place of residence.

The Minister noted that the proposed measures could lead to an increase in the number of reports received, which, in turn, would require strengthening the capacities of the bodies and organizations involved in this field and expanding the resources allocated to them.

According to Arpine Sargsyan, one of the objectives of the draft legislative package is to ensure clear and uniform legal assessments of domestic violence cases, both in legislation and in law enforcement practice.

Presenting statistical data, Minister Sargsyan emphasized that an increase in the number of reports may indicate growing trust in the law enforcement system, particularly the Police, as well as a greater willingness to report incidents of domestic violence.

In conclusion, Arpine Sargsyan emphasized that the main objectives of the legislative package are to strengthen consistent state intervention, improve prevention mechanisms, enhance the effectiveness of victim protection, and introduce measures aimed at changing the behavior of individuals who have committed acts of violence.

The Minister also answered questions from the meeting participants.