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ARMENIA – SUCCESSFUL PILOT PROJECT JOINS POLICE, NGO SECTOR & OSCE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOLISTIC PREVENTION & RESPONSE
Yerevan, Armenia, 2 December 2014 – The Social
Justice NGO with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan presented today the
results and key findings of a project on developing a partnership model for
domestic violence prevention by strengthening police units in Armenia.
The pilot project was implemented by the Social
Justice NGO from March 2014 in the Kanaker-Zeitun, Avan, and Nor Norq
communities of Yerevan and in Vanadzor, Lori province. The aim was to develop a
working co-operation model between police units and other involved state and
non-state actors in the community as a joint multi-structure mechanism to
address domestic violence cases.
“Domestic violence is a serious abuse and
violation of human rights fundamentals, and it is also a source and precursor
of criminality. The police have an important role to play in combating and eradicating
domestic violence, however a multi-agency holistic approach and response is
needed”, said Lilian Salaru, OSCE Office in Yerevan Politico-Military Programme
Officer. . “As part of its Police Assistance Programme we had supported this
important project aimed at building professional capacities for police in
preventing and combating domestic violence, and specifically involved police
officers from the Department of Juveniles and Domestic Violence Prevention”.
In the course of the project, around 70 meetings
were organized between police units and other interested parties in the
communities to discuss and come up with a suitable mechanism of co-operation
based on the practice of responding to domestic violence cases. Community
police officers, representatives of police units on juvenile cases, social
services and civil society active in the field shared their experiences,
perceptions and conclusions on the initiative.
Arshak Gasparyan, President of the Social Justice NGO, said: “One of the outcomes of the project was the change in attitude towards domestic violence among police officers, and the enhanced mutual confidence and co-operation between police and other state and non-state actors”.