OSCE regional workshop explores role of community police in fighting domestic violence

MINSK, 28 January 2014 – Helping police to better respond to cases of domestic violence was the focus of a two-day OSCE regional workshop, which opened in Minsk today, for members of community police from Belarus and Moldova.

The regional workshop is the first OSCE activity aimed at addressing domestic violence through promoting a community policing approach.

“Domestic violence is not a women-only phenomenon, its victims cut across age, nationality and sex,” said Guy Vinet, Head of the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department/Strategic Police Matters Unit (TNTD/SPMU). “Men and boys can be both victims of domestic violence and partners for response. The key is to involve all groups of citizens in the fight against domestic violence and to adopt a zero tolerance approach to this phenomenon.”   

During the workshop, participants will explore the role of community police officers as potential first responders to cases of domestic violence, will discuss how to encourage victims to report domestic violence, look at effective responses and ensuring the availability of adequate legal assistance.

The workshop will result in a set of recommendations on how to better equip community police for addressing domestic violence in the region.

The project has been prepared by TNTD/SPMU in co-operation with the OSCE Gender Section. It will be implemented through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Minsk as part of a larger package of projects agreed with the authorities of Belarus and co-ordinated by the OSCE’s Conflict Prevention Centre based in Vienna.