In its recent Autumn session, the Council of Europe did a mid-term assessment of its "Stop Domestic Violence Against Women" campaign. The Council now reiterates its call to national parliaments to implement their domestic violence laws, adopt new laws on violence against women, and disseminate information on violence to the public. The mid-term assessment grew out of the Council's three-pronged approach to their stop domestic violence campaign: the parliamentary, governmental, and local and regional strands. The Council believes that it is only through the cooperation of these three prongs that any real impact on domestic violence will take place throughout Europe. The Council has therefore put forward a number of suggestions to aid in this comprehensive legislation and implementation.
Such recommendations include making domestic violence against women, including marital rape, a criminal offence; setting up sufficient numbers of safe emergency shelters; making provision to remove violent spouses or partners and take out protection orders against perpetrators; and guaranteeing effective access to the courts and to protection measures for victims.
Click on the following links for full copies of the Council's resolution and recommention.
Recommendation 1817 (2007)
Resolution 1582 (2007)
Compiled from: "'Domestic violence against women, including marital rape, a criminal offense,' PACE Says," Council of Europe, assembly.coe.int, Autumn Session 1-5 October 2007.