Nicosia, Cyprus. New interventions to combat gender-based and domestic violence were announced at parliament on Monday, with Law Commissioner Sofia Kleopa Hadjikyriacou saying access to support would not depend on a victim’s willingness to file a complaint.
Measures presented to House human rights committee
Speaking at the House human rights committee, Hadjikyriacou said the interventions were in line with recommendations by the Council of Europe group of experts, Grevio, for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention.
Akel MP Giorgos Koukoumas said Cyprus ratified the convention in 2017 and in 2021 voted harmonising legislation to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. He said the convention provided a comprehensive Council of Europe legal framework for prevention, protection and prosecution of gender-based violence, but added that state implementation was fragmented and the public was not properly informed.
Akel MP Irene Charalambides said there were worrying delays in implementation of the convention and requested information on the content of Grevio recommendations.
Independent MP Alexandra Attalides said the issue was how laws were being implemented, and said institutions tasked with protecting victims were responding in a lukewarm manner.
Legislative amendments and implementation steps
Hadjikyriacou said the recommendations had been acted upon and amendments to legislation against gender-based and domestic violence were being promoted. She said the changes include continuous training of officers, improved risk evaluation, faster processing of court applications for restraint orders, inclusion of children in the same protection order, the ability to take immediate measures to protect victims with less evidence required, and access to support regardless of whether a complaint is filed.
Justice ministry timeline
Justice ministry representative Aristos Tsiartas said all Grevio recommendations had been promoted to the Law Commissioner for adoption, and that before the end of the year a bill would be sent to parliament.
What changes do you think are most important to ensure the new measures are implemented effectively?