These are very important regulations that will strengthen the protection of persons suffering from domestic violence. The Act has been very much awaited by various groups for a long time. Three years ago, we introduced the legislation allowing to immediately isolate perpetrators from victims. Today, we are going one step further. We want to adapt the legislation to the changing reality. This is a milestone we reached to protect women, children, seniors and all persons who have experienced and are experiencing domestic aggression – says the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment Anna Schmidt.

Major amendments

• The Act extends the group of persons covered by the new legislation, inter alia, to include an ex-spouse, regardless of the fact of living with a person using violence.
• In addition to physical, psychological and sexual violence, the Act introduces two more forms of violence – economic and digital.
• The Act “on counteracting family violence” has been renamed “on counteracting domestic violence”, so as to avoid stigmatising the family and indicating that acts of violence occur only there.
• Issues concerning children who witness domestic violence have been regulated – these children will be treated as persons suffering from this form of aggression.
• In the municipalities, diagnostic and support groups will be created, composed of a social worker and a police officer, who will work respectively with a person suffering from domestic violence and with a person using this violence.
• The Act modifies the „Blue Cards” procedure. Persons forming the diagnostic and assistance group will be authorised to initiate and implement this procedure.
• The legislation also introduces regulations providing for taking away firearms from persons who use domestic violence.

 

The Act will enter into force three months after being published.