People's Deputies approve a law to increase punishment for domestic violence

Ksenia Omelchenko

The Verkhovna Rada passed a law "On Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses to Strengthen Liability for Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence."

336 people's deputies supported the corresponding draft law №3908-1 in the second reading.

Thus, according to the adopted amendments, Article 173-2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses provides that the commission of domestic violence, gender-based violence, i.e. intentional commission of any acts (actions or omissions) of a physical, psychological or economic nature (use of violence that did not cause bodily harm, threats, insults or harassment, deprivation of housing, food, clothing, other property or funds to which the victim is entitled by law, etc.), as a result of which the physical or mental health of the victim may or may not have been harmed, and similarly, failure to comply with an urgent injunction by the person in respect of whom it was issued or failure to notify the authorized units of the National Police of the place of their temporary stay in case of such an injunction to entail a fine of 10 to 20 non-taxable minimum incomes (170-340 UAH ) or community works for a period of 30 to 40 hours, or administrative arrest for up to ten days.

If the same actions are committed by a person who was subjected to an administrative penalty for one of these violations during the year, it will entail a fine of 20 to 40 non-taxable minimum incomes (340-680 UAH) or community service for a period of 40 to 60 hours or administrative arrest for up to 15 days.

The initial version of the draft law provided for introducing community service as a punishment for domestic violence. However, before the second reading, this rule was excluded.

The law enters into force on the day following its publication.

Currently, the law provides for administrative arrest for up to seven days among the types of punishment for domestic violence.

To recap, in Ukraine, a psychological helping service for victims of violence was launched.

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