HRMI Research Director Dr. Rokas Uscila urged officers to ensure protection of rights of victims especially women and children that have suffered from their husbands and fathers.
In releasing HRMI research during a police training seminar, Dr. Uscila presented problems related to implementation of laws, current and developing faulty practices concerning profiling and stereotyping in crimal cases. Discussion centered on the role of law enforcement institutions (police) in informing women victims of their legal status and rights, along with problems concerning social stigmas and stereotypes that assign guilt to victims.
Dr. R.Uscila underlined a lack of principled attitude toward the situation of the injured women. He stated that such a negative attitude determines many tragedies and constant violence.
Dr. R.Uscila cited a severe violence case in one village in the district of Akmene where a woman battered by her husband was brought with her two year old daughter to the hospital. This case was announced in BTV News. The woman said she applied for help many times because she and her children were suffering violence from her husband constantly. However, none of the responsible institutions helped. The husband was not arrested.
Dr. Uscila raised the issue of insufficient attention to threats received by women from their husbands; the fact that threatening to kill or injure another person is a penal act is ignored by those involved in investigations. Ignorance and policy of drift contribute to the high level of home violence in Lithuania, he stated. He highlighted the tragic irony in the level of attention given to victims, seemingly most sufficient following their death.
The seminar took place in Lithuanian police training center on September 22, 2004.
Training was organized by Center of Equal Opportunities.
Theme of the seminar ”The social situation and law protection of the violence victims’’.
Dr. R.Uscila presented a lecture and discussion ”Women’s rights in criminal justice. Practical aspects’’.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute