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Description
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Romanian authorities to implement/enforce the decisions of the ECHR in Strasbourg, as well as the country recommendations issued by the CoE in the field of abuse, domestic and gender violence. The activities aim at: development and promotion of mechanisms to protect the rights of vulnerable persons and measures to combat discrimination and/or to promote human rights; Carrying out a training program for 1,918 specialists regarding the implementation of international human rights documents ratified by Romania and the avoidance of procedural defects; Carrying out a national information and awareness campaign on gender-based violence (including a component for youth and Roma women) and non-discrimination; Creation of an online platform, as a resource for informing the public, including a segment dedicated to professionals in the field, a component dedicated to reporting abuses in the judiciary and a component for insurance advising/guiding vulnerable people on the protection of their rights and how to notify the competent authorities; Organization of the Virtual Legal Caravan in order to increase the capacity of the institutions to implement the recommendations resulting from ECHR judgments and other country-specific recommendations; Carrying out advocacy activities to enable the creation of effective communication mechanisms between different institutional actors with responsibilities in the process of implementing country decisions and recommendations on abuse, domestic violence and gender-based violence; Develop a nationally representative study on compliance with ECHR judgments and recommendations of the Council of Ministers of CoE on the rights of victims of gender-based violence.
Summary of project results
The phenomenon of domestic and gender-based violence is a daily reality and does not depend on the socio-economic background of victims or geographical location. In 2020, out of a total of 43,712 reported criminal offenses: 22,273 occurred in urban areas and 21,439 in rural areas. The most severe crimes are the following: 72 victims were killed, and 58 were subjected to attempted murder. The most common offenses included assault and other violent acts (26,809 cases), family abandonment (6,026 cases), threats (4,023 cases), rape (226 cases), trespassing (146 cases), and violations of protection orders or provisional protection orders (2,956 cases). Regarding the perpetrators: 38,741 offenses were committed by men, 5,318 by women, 197 by minors. The total number of victims of these crimes was 45,676, including 29,967 women and 8,122 minors.
A relevant analysis of the context in which the project was carried out highlighted multiple issues victims face within the judicial system and put forward several recommendations:
- The need for intensive and multidisciplinary training for police officers, prosecutors, judges, and lawyers.
- The swift resolution of divorce, custody, and property division cases involving victims of domestic violence.
- Improving judges'' ability to assess the best interests of the child in domestic violence cases, particularly regarding custody or visitation rights of the abusive parent, and the necessity of including children in protection orders.
- Enhancing access to state-appointed legal aid for all domestic violence victims and specialized training for lawyers.
The project proposed and developed an intervention model aimed at addressing specific needs of both the primary and secondary target groups, as outlined in national strategies, national report recommendations, country recommendations for the enforcement of ECHR rulings, and Council of Europe standards.
Thus, the project proposed and achieved the following:
- Training over 1,900 professionals in the judicial and social fields (judges, prosecutors, lawyers, police officers, and social workers) to improve the justice system, prevent Romania from being condemned by the ECHR, uphold human rights, and avoid revictimization.
- Strengthening institutional capacity to implement ECHR decisions and country recommendations, ensuring an effective, accessible, and high-quality justice system by creating, for the first time, mechanisms and protective measures for vulnerable individuals and facilitating access to justice.
- Reducing reluctance, discrimination, stereotypes, and lack of empathy among judicial system representatives regarding the special situation of victims, benefiting future victims participating in the justice process.
- Providing adequate information to victims, addressing constraints related to lack of knowledge about laws, rights, protection/support measures, available services and facilities, legal procedures, and the justice system, including their right to legal defense.
- Raising awareness among 2,000 students and 100 teachers about violence against women.
- Informing and sensitizing the general public about preventing and combating violence against women through a large-scale awareness campaign (billboards and radio-TV spots). Additionally, increasing awareness among young people (ages 15-19) via an online platform with educational materials, including content shared on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, with influencer involvement to boost visibility of the issue.
The measures proposed and implemented through the project have, for the first time, established the foundation for an effective, appropriate, and highly specialized response from state authorities in implementing ECHR rulings and Council of Europe recommendations regarding abuse, gender-based violence, and non-discrimination.
The project introduced a high degree of innovation through its integrated intervention approach and the inclusion of key partners in the consortium, ensuring its success. The project was led by the agency responsible for coordinating the national strategy on gender equality promotion and the prevention and combating of gender-based violence, playing a crucial role in implementing the Istanbul Convention.
The proposed measures have set a precedent for a specialized and effective response from state authorities in enforcing ECHR rulings and Council of Europe recommendations in the areas of abuse, gender-based violence, and non-discrimination.