A new bill to support victims of domestic violence

A new bill to support victims of domestic violence has been submitted by the National Liberal Party to the Senate, as the first forum to be notified.

The document provides for harsh penalties for repeat offenders.

The bill provides for the automatic extension of the temporary protection order until the court's decision.

According to current legislation, the temporary protection order issued by the police is valid for five days.

If the court does not rule within this period, the order automatically expires and the abuser could come into contact with the victim.

Another change is the obligation to provide legal assistance to both parties in the event of an appeal against the temporary protection order.

Harsh penalties are provided for repeat offenders, with the special limits of the penalty being increased by half.

Currently, violating a protection order is a crime punishable by imprisonment from six months to five years.

Another change concerns the possibility for the prosecutor to request a new order if there are indications that, in the absence of the protection measure, the victim's life, physical or mental integrity, or freedom would be endangered.

According to the initiators, in the first four months of this year, police intervened in over 40.000 cases of domestic violence, issuing approximately 8.000 protection orders and temporary protection orders.

Translated by: Radu Matei