The House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH adopted a draft law on protection from domestic violence and violence against women at its regular session tonight, which is necessary to incorporate the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence into the legislation of the Federation of BiH.
In order for the new provisions to enter into force, they must also be adopted by the House of Peoples of the Parliament, which means that the current Law on Protection from Domestic Violence should cease to be valid this year.
By voting for this law, the deputies agreed to introduce urgent protection measures implemented by police authorities in the Federation of BiH, as well as the possibility of electronic surveillance of the perpetrator who has been ordered to leave the apartment and approach the victim.
The Gender Equality Commission of the House of Representatives, and deputies Alma Kratina and Vibor Handžić drafted the Draft Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, which was adopted in 2022 by both houses of the Parliament.
Based on the collected suggestions, the Federal Ministry of Justice has drafted a draft of a new law with the aim of introducing a criminal offense of violating protective measures, punishable by up to three years in prison, while significantly tightening the penal policy for perpetrators of domestic violence and violence against women.
Ahead of the debate, the Federal Minister of Justice Vedran Škobić drew the attention of the deputies to the fact that the law establishes that protection from violence is of public interest for the Federation of BiH, cantons, cities and municipalities in the FBiH.
He also stated that by adopting this law, the Directive (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence is partially transposed into the legislation of the Federation.
“The new provisions give greater powers to police authorities. Namely, Article 32 specifies that the police administration is obliged to go to the scene of each reported case of violence immediately upon receipt of the report. The police may temporarily deprive a person of their liberty, for whom there are grounds for suspicion that they have committed violence, and detain them if the conditions set out in Article 153 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are met,” emphasized Škobić.
Compared to the current Law, the deputies praised in their comments that the new legal provisions prescribe greater responsibility and greater ability to act for all those participating in the decision-making chain in the fight against domestic violence, and this applies to social work centers, educational institutions, police and judicial institutions, which must, as they say, truly stand up for the protection of women and children, and vulnerable categories.
Among other things, it is stipulated that the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, with the technical support of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Communications, should ensure the establishment of a 24-hour free SOS telephone line covering the entire Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to provide advice and support to victims of violence, confidentially, that is, while preserving their anonymity, in relation to all forms of violence covered by this law, Fena writes.
