OSCE trains police officers to combat domestic violence in Kazakhstan

Three one-day training seminars and a public discussion on the legislative mechanisms regulating the police’s work in combating domestic violence concluded on 21 February 2019 in the Almaty region, Kazakhstan.

The events were organized by the crisis centre ‘Podrugi’ and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. Together with two national experts, 209 community police officers discussed best practices in preventing and addressing domestic violence. The events, along with other upcoming training seminars in the Akmola, Aktobe and Zhambyl regions, aim at building the capacity of police inspectors who respond to calls on possible domestic violence cases.

“Domestic violence is one of the main issues internal affairs bodies of the Republic of Kazhakstan are tackling. During the past three years, together with the OSCE, the MIA has been conducting training seminars for community police officers. Through these training seminars, specific amendments have been introduced into the legislation,” said Alexey Milyuk, Head of the Department of Prevention of the Committee of the Administrative Police of the MIA of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Nadezhda Gladyr, head of the Podrugi crisis centre, said: “During the seminar, issues of access of victims of domestic violence to special social services as well as criteria for assessing the presence of ill-treatment leading to social maladjustment and deprivation were discussed.”

An analytical paper to monitor the effectiveness of police work in this area will be drafted by the experts, and will be presented to the MIA at the conclusion of the project.

The seminars are part of the Programme Office’s multi-year efforts to assist the host country and civil society representatives in preventing and combating domestic violence and in offering professional social services to victims.