The Council of the EU adopted the directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence.
It is a landmark for the protection of women and girls in Europe, introducing tougher measures to punish perpetrators and support victims.
Taking decisive action against these acts of violence is necessary to safeguard the values and fundamental rights of equality between women and men and non-discrimination. The law requires all its countries EU criminalize female genital mutilation, forced marriage and cyber violence such as non-consensual sharing of personal images.
The new law also includes measures to prevent violence against women and domestic violence and sets standards for the protection of victims of these crimes.
Main elements
The law adopted today criminalises the following offenses across the EU:
- female genital mutilation
- forced marriage
- non-consensual sharing of personal images;
- cyber stalking
- cyber harassment and incitement to hate or violence in cyberspace
Committing these crimes will be punishable by prison terms ranging from at least one to five years. The directive is also accompanied by an extensive list of aggravating circumstances, such as committing the offense against a child, former or current spouse or partner, or a public representative, journalist or human rights defender, which lead to harsher penalties.
The directive also contains detailed rules on the assistance and protection measures that Member States must provide to victims.
It will become easier for victims of violence against women and domestic violence to report a crime. At the very least, online reporting of cybercrimes will be possible. EU countries must also take steps to ensure that children receive help from professionals. When children report a crime committed by someone with parental care, authorities should take steps to protect the child’s safety before informing the alleged perpetrator.
According to iefimerida, in order to protect the privacy of the victim and prevent re-victimization, Member States should further ensure that evidence relating to the victim’s previous sexual behavior should be admissible in criminal proceedings only when relevant and necessary.
With the idea of building a safer future, preventive measures aim to raise awareness of the root causes of violence against women and domestic violence and to promote the central role of consent in sexual relationships.
Next steps
Member States have three years from the entry into force of the directive to transpose it into national law.
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