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30 women have been killed in Armenia over the past five years by their former or current partners or family members. Introducing the cases of domestic violence and women’ murder in Armenia, the attorney David Vardanyan stressed, that that number alone pinpoints the need of adopting a draft law "On Domestic Violence."

According to David Vardanyan, despite the risks of the project, it will justify, by solving more problems than it, otherwise, can generate. The bill authorizes social workers to move juveniles to a shelter upon witnessing manifestation of violence and aggression. The attorney acknowledged, that taking away a child from family can have a negative impact on parent-child relationship. At the same time, there are cases where a child can be subject to a physical danger, if traditional practice of tolerance is applied. 

"Here we must put aside emotions and ponder on whether child's life in the family is in danger or not. For example, women, who get harassed by their husbands, when the latest are drunk, are unable to protect their children. In this case, it would be better to take children away from such a family. "

The speakers did not agree with a concern, that the law can turn into a tool of solving family issues. To the question, if there is a guarantee, that brides won’t capitalize on the bill to revenge on their mothers-in-law, David Vardanian said, that such a scenario is unlikely to happen. "The Armenian mentality, in my opinion, keeps people, as they themselves think, from being shamed among their friends and relatives.” 

It is worthy to mention, that according to the draft bill, an individual can be charged with domestic violence for not only causing physical harm but also limiting an individual’s freedom (for example, not allowing her to go outside) as well as for causing other forms of harms to an individual’s health (depriving of necessary medication, etc.). Aggression can be considered as a domestic violence not only in husband-wife relationship but also in other family members’ relationships, for example, bride-mother-in-law, uncle - child and so on.

The bill envisages to subject the perpetrator of domestic violence to administrative liability. At the same, here the bill suggests to facilitate a three-stage response mechanism: an official warning, a decision of intervention, and an official resolution. The first two stages will be implemented by the Police, whereas the third stage by the court.  Under the bill, the person who committed violence, would have to be temporarily removed from his family by court's resolution, as a last resort.

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