The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) wants the sentences for domestic violence increased. The parliamentary group of the MRF submitted a bill to amend the Penal Code. The draft legislation will remove the requirement that the abuse must be systematic to be qualified as a crime committed under the conditions of domestic violence.
Currently, three reports must be registered with the police, before the stricter rules of the Penal Code are enforced, MRF parliamentary group deputy chairman Hamid Hamid told a news conference. In most instances however, the first act of violence leaves lasting physical and mental consequences, sometimes it leads to severe injuries. Regrettably, in some cases there is a loss of human life, Hamid added, reminding that only a few days earlier another woman – Alena Shterk - lost her life.
The amendment we propose affects the general section of the Penal Code in the requirements for the Code’s application and the definition for crimes committed under the conditions of domestic violence, Hamid said. He also announced that between the first and the second readings of the bill, the MRF will file a proposal to raise the sentences for crimes committed under the conditions of domestic violence.
The exact reason for proposing the amendment was the strong reaction of the Commissioner for Human Rights. Last week, Ms. Dunja Mijatović sharply expressed her upset over the delay in these changes by the government and demanded that the amendment be applied as soon as possible, Hamid said.
Hamid, who is also a jurist, reminded of the recent history of this piece of legislation. Two years ago, the ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria filed a proposal with the Ministry of Justice asking it to propose removal of the requirement for the abuse to be systematic. The reason was that the Penal Code had proven worthless with that definition of domestic violence, Hamid said.
Unfortunately, while the administration was exchanging letters, convening working groups and doing nothing to comply with the deadlines, we witnessed another serious crime resulting from domestic violence. Therefore, we believe that the amendment must be adopted immediately, Hamid Hamid said.
