WUNRN
EU-WIDE REGULATION FOR PROTECTION
ORDERS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS
Emer Costello - Ireland MEP - Member of the European
Parliament representing the Dublin Constitutency since February 2012.
7/13 - Under a new EU regulation, which will
take effect from January 2015, victims of domestic violence, stalking or
harassment who are granted civil law protection in one EU country will be fully
protected in another on completion of a short form. It will ensure that they
will be able to move freely across
The
protection afforded by this regulation will give great reassurance to people
whose lives are threatened by violence. It will give them the freedom to travel
abroad for holidays, for work or indeed for longer periods, without fear. The
regulation covers all threats to a person's physical and moral
integrity, including threats to dignity, security, personal freedom and sexual
integrity.
Over 100,000 women across the EU, including approximately 1,000 in Ireland, benefit from protection orders in their home country, but not in other countries.
While much work has been done to protect victims of abuse, figures from Women’s Aid show one in five women in Ireland will experience violence in their lifetime. In 2011, there were 12,612 incidents of domestic violence disclosed to the Women's Aid National Freephone Helpline.
It is worth bearing in mind that domestic violence also has a higher rate of repeat victimisation than any other crime and that it is a crime which also affects men. It is vitally important that victims are supported wherever they are in Europe and that this protection remains in place when people move.