Contributed by: Branislava Vargová, Czech National VAW Monitor (ROSA)

Beginning 1 January 2007, victims of domestic violence in the Czech Republic should have better protection. Parliament adopted act 135/2006 Sb., which changes some other laws in the field of protection against domestic violence, and the President signed the law on 14 March 2006.  

Police will have the right to expel a perpetrator of domestic violence from the house for a period of 10 days if there is a risk of dangerous attack against life, health, freedom or peril of very severe humiliation. The decision to expel the perpetrator will be based on evidence of violence, with stress on previous attacks. Expulsion can also include the surroundings of the house. The period of 10 days cannot be reduced, even if the victim would agree.  Police should inform the victim about the possibility to file a proposal for prolonging the period of expulsion.

The new legislative act incorporates the establishment of intervention centres, which should coordinate multi-agency cooperation in domestic violence interventions. Intervention centres should be established and run by local authorities. In the Czech Republic, there are 14 regions including Prague region, and each of them should have one intervention centre. In spite of the fact that the centres are supposed to start their work in January 2007, they still haven’t been settled and also there is no trained staff. Neither Police nor social welfare departments have any guidelines and standards for domestic violence case treatment and the cooperation hasn’t started at most Czech regions yet. Activities and services provided by intervention centres will probably be reduced due to lack of victim support services networks through the country.

Thanks to the support of the Open Society Fund, the Prague project of multi-agency cooperation has been started in one of the Prague’s districts. This cooperation should prepare key agencies also for application of the new law provision.

To download the Czech version of new anti-violence law go to the: http://www.rosa-os.cz/index.php?id=18  

Source:  Branislava Vargová, Czech National VAW Monitor