Comprehensive legal regulations are a must to prevent violence against women

Vahit Bıçak, a professor of law and an instructor at the Police Academy, said only two articles of the 1998 Law on the Protection of the Family deal with the prevention of domestic violence
(Todays Zaman, 17 July 2011, http://www.todayszaman.com/news-250761-comprehensive-legal-regulations-are-a-must-to-prevent-violence-against-women.html) Comprehensive legal regulations are a must to prevent violence against women 17 July 2011, Sunday / ABDULKADIR ARGILLI , İSTANBUL Although experts seeking to reduce the incidence of domestic violence are emphasizing the establishment of family counseling centers and electronic tagging for abusive men, legal experts say no measures will be enough to stop male violence against women unless better legal regulations are enacted. Vahit Bıçak, a professor of law and an instructor at the Police Academy, said only two articles of the 1998 Law on the Protection of the Family deal with the prevention of domestic violence. He says a combination of protective measures and rehabilitation treatments should be used to combat domestic violence. "It is not enough to pass new laws. People need to be informed about the law and the legal remedies available before domestic violence reaches even higher levels."� Bıçak said most gendarmerie and police officers are not competent in their knowledge of the relevant laws, adding that violence against women was covered under the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), but that this is not adequate. He noted that the law does not define "domestic violence,"� a problem he asserted should be addressed immediately. Bıçak also said that in most cases, filing a complaint against the abuser could lead to more violence. He said he had known some judges to complain about the current law, saying that it destroys families, and noted that this mentality contributes to increasing violence as abusers are almost always released back to their families at trial. Bıçak also noted that it was extremely important for there to be centers to protect victims for the duration of the judicial process.

Haberin Tarihi : 18.07.2011