WUNRN
Domestic Violence - A Silent
Problem in Georgia
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“When Gia would come home drunk he would beat his wife brutally. This lasted for 7-8 years, only ending when his wife Lela, died. The constant beating damaged her kidneys, which ultimately caused her death,” Elene, a friend of mine said, as she retold the sad story. Elene opened up to me when she learned that I was to attend a seminar on family violence – a topic, although taboo in Georgia, debated heatedly among neighbors, friends, and colleagues.
When Lela tried to return to her parent’s home, Gia made threats to set fire to her house- forcing Lela to go back to her husband, a move which eventually killed her.
This story is just one of the thousands of stories in Georgia about the effects of domestic violence. According to the Anti-violence Network of Georgia, one of out every four calls to the police in Georgia is related to family violence- usually spousal.
Like elsewhere in the world, in Georgia starting a family should be an exciting time filled with hope. But sometimes people discover it was not what they were expecting.
Unfortunately, because women in Georgia often lack financial independence, it is mostly wives who are silently suffering from domestic violence. In this country, strong traditions force women to keep family problems quiet and in domestic violence situations, this can be fatal.
Also, the general health of those under the stress of domestic problems suffers. Professor Ia Verulashvili agrees that most ailments in female patients are caused by permanent trauma. “There are many cases when doctors cure patients in medical terms- but the patients remain ailing.
The reason being is that they are under continuing stress,” she says.
The Anti-violence Network of Georgia (AVNG) has been operating since October 2003. The NGO aims to help prevent domestic violence and provide victims with therapy. Since its creation, in 2001, several countrywide victim protection measures have been taken.
Nato Shavlakadze, the chair of the AVNG says, “Our organization has crisis-rehabilitation centers for the protection of domestic violence victims, a psychosocial rehabilitation center in Tbilisi and in other regions of Georgia.” The protection and rehabilitation of domestic violence victims implies free social, psychological and juridical consultations as well as emergency medical treatment. Legal experts, psychologists, social workers help the victims to come to the crisis centers and find relief.”
According to her, family violence is closely correlated with alcoholism, drug consumption, intimate-partner homicide, teenage pregnancy, infant and child mortality, spontaneous abortion, reckless behaviors, suicide, and the onset of mental health disorders. As females are primarily victims of the violence, the abusers are males. But, children are usually victims as well - either directly, or indirectly.
Most victims of family violence go back to their homes after receiving consultations and treatment at AVNG’s crisis-rehabilitation centers. “In the final minutes they find it hard to sacrifice family members (refusing to bring the case to court or break the family). The stress deprives them of the energy needed to start a new life,” Shavlakadze sums up.
The laws do not fully protect the rights of domestic violence victims. Although Georgia’s Domestic Violence Law was adopted in May 2006, and went into force in June 2006, experts believe that it still needs to be revised.
“The law is not well-written as it was adopted hastily. So it is hard to abide by as well. This is why a package of amendments has been prepared which stipulate that the state and organizations must increase the level of co-management, co-financing and mutual responsibility in the area,” says Manana Purckhvanidze, juridical consultant of AVNG.
As she explains, the current law does not envisage punishment measures. At the time, there are only the following two: 1) A preventive warrant issued by police at the site of an accident (400 orders have been issued thus far); 2) A protective warrant mandating that either a victim or the police goes to court (10 such warrants have been issued); If a crime occurs a second time, the abuser will be held accountable by criminal law.
Shavlakadze said that for 2.5 years of AVNG’s functioning, psycho-social rehabilitation was provided to 65 women and children. But, the figures are lower in the Kakheti region and Batumi city.
Insiders of the field have identified that better communication between victims and organizations like AVNG can lead to lowering these tragic statistics in Georgia.
On the AVNG homepage, it reads:
• If you are the victim of Domestic Violence!
• If you are under verbal threat!
• If you experience physical threat!
• If you and your children’s rights are being violated!
You are not alone with these problems!
The organization encourages victims to call them at 261627 if seeking a change in their life.
Nino Edilashvili
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