Domestic violence in Lithuania

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Domestic violence in Lithuania is a pervasive social problem.

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The Law on Protection against Domestic Violence came into force in 2011. [1] In the four months after the law took effect, Lithuanian police received over 10,000 reports of domestic violence and initiated 3,300 investigations. [2]

Acts of violence within the family can be charged under the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence. Before the 2011 law, domestic violence (DV) could be prosecuted only under general laws (such as assault based offenses from the Criminal Code). [2]

The 2011 DV law covers people living in a "domestic environment". The law states that: "Domestic environment shall mean the environment comprising the persons currently or previously linked by marriage, partnership, affinity or other close relations, also the persons having a common domicile and a common household." [1]

Specific issues

Child abuse

Child abuse in Lithuania is often fueled by parental alcohol abuse. [3] Following its independence, Lithuania has been slow to address the issue of child abuse, with the country being slow to change the approaches of the former Soviet regime, and conservative ideologies about the place of children in the family and society remaining strong. [4]

Children are legally protected from abuse. Under the 2011 law, the definition of "victim of domestic violence" includes "a child who has become a witness of domestic violence or lives in an environment exposed to violence". [1]

Sexual violence within the family

Sexual violence in the family includes forced sex and child sexual abuse (CSA).

CSA is illegal in Lithuania, and in 2010 the country tightened penalties for child molestation and raised the age of consent from 14 to 16. [5]

The definition of Rape (Article 149) can, theoretically, be applied to marital rape because the law does not exclude marital rape and it does not allow marriage as a defense for rape, so this can be construed to include rape within a marriage. [2] The 2011 DV law stipulates that violence against family members can be sexual (along with physical, mental, economic) but does not define what sexual violence in the family is, and it does not make any specific reference to marital rape. While, in theory, both the rape law and the DV law can be constructed to include forced sex between spouses, there are reports that these laws are not enforced by the courts in this way, and that the concept of marital rape is not understood by the Lithuanian society which is conservative. [6]

Social views

In the 2010 Eurobarometer poll on violence against women, 28% of Lithuanian respondents said that they thought DV in their country was "very common", 52% "fairly common", 15% "not very common", 1% "not at all common", and 4% did not know/did not answer. The poll found that in Lithuania the population holds strong victim blaming attitudes: 86% of Lithuanian respondents agreed that the "provocative behaviour of women" was a cause of violence against women - the highest percentage of all countries surveyed, significantly higher than the European average of 52%. [7] In the same poll, 48% of Lithuanian respondents said that they knew women among their circle of friends and family who had been victims of DV - again the highest percentage of all countries surveyed (European average 25%). [7]

Social background

Following its independence, Lithuania has struggled, experiencing poverty, unemployment, and social unrest; and this has had a negative effect on family life and on personal wellbeing. [8] Suicide in Lithuania has become a serious national problem, due to its very high prevalence. [9] During 2005-2007/2008-2010 Lithuania also had the highest murder rate in the European Union. [10]

International incidents

In 2013, a Lithuanian woman who was a victim of DV won her case against the State of Lithuania at the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Lithuania had failed to provide her with adequate protection. [11] [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coercion, acts to traffic a person or acts directed against a person's sexuality, regardless of the relationship to the victim. It occurs in times of peace and armed conflict situations, is widespread and is considered to be one of the most traumatic, pervasive, and most common human rights violations.

Marital rape or spousal rape is the act of sexual intercourse with one's spouse without the spouse's consent. The lack of consent is the essential element and need not involve physical violence. Marital rape is considered a form of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Although, historically, sexual intercourse within marriage was regarded as a right of spouses, engaging in the act without the spouse's consent is now widely classified as rape by many societies around the world, repudiated by international conventions, and increasingly criminalized.

Gender equality Equal access for all genders to rights, resources, opportunities and protections

Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations and needs equally, regardless of gender.

Violence against women Violent acts committed primarily against women and girls

Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls. Such violence is often considered a form of hate crime, committed against women or girls specifically because they are female, and can take many forms.

Equality Now is a non-governmental organization founded in 1992 to advocate for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls. Through a combination of regional partnerships, community mobilization and legal advocacy the organization works to encourage governments to adopt, improve and enforce laws that protect and promote women and girls' rights around the world.

Rape is a type of sexual assault initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, or where the person is under threat or manipulation, or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. It is the name of a statutory crime in jurisdictions such as England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, California, and New York, and is a legal term of art used in the definition of the offence of sexual violation in New Zealand.

Statistics on rape and other sexual assaults are commonly available in industrialized countries, and are becoming better documented throughout the world. Inconsistent definitions of rape, different rates of reporting, recording, prosecution and conviction for rape create controversial statistical disparities, and lead to accusations that many rape statistics are unreliable or misleading. In some jurisdictions, male-female rape is the only form of rape counted in the statistics. Countries may not define forced sex on a spouse as rape. Rape is an under-reported crime. Prevalence of reasons for not reporting rape differ across countries. They may include fear of retaliation, uncertainty about whether a crime was committed or if the offender intended harm, not wanting others to know about the rape, not wanting the offender to get in trouble, fear of prosecution, and doubt in local law enforcement.

Domestic violence occurs across the world, in various cultures, and affects people across society, at all levels of economic status; however, indicators of lower socioeconomic status have been shown to be risk factors for higher levels of domestic violence in several studies. In the United States, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 1995, women reported a six times greater rate of intimate partner violence than men. However, studies have found that men are much less likely to report victimization in these situations.

The most pervasive violations of women's rights in Paraguay involve sexual and domestic abuse. On average one woman is murdered every 10 days. Although Paraguay has taken several measures to deal with this problem, including creating special police units for domestic violence victims, lack of adequate laws, as well as conservative attitudes within a male dominated society hinder progress.

Domestic violence Pattern of behavior involving abuse of members of the same household

Domestic violence is violence or other abuse in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence is often used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by one of the people in an intimate relationship against the other person, and can take place in heterosexual or same-sex relationships, or between former spouses or partners. In its broadest sense, domestic violence also involves violence against children, teenagers, parents, or the elderly. It takes multiple forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, and sexual abuse, which can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and to violent physical abuse such as choking, beating, female genital mutilation, and acid throwing that results in disfigurement or death. Domestic murders include stoning, bride burning, honor killing, and dowry death.

Sexual violence in South Africa

The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is among the highest in the world. Sexual violence is the use of force or manipulation to get someone to engage in unwanted sexual activity without their consent. During 2015/16, there were 51,895 crimes of a sexual nature reported to the South African Police Service.

Women in Malaysia

Women in Malaysia receive support from the Malaysian government concerning their rights to advance, to make decisions, to health, education and social welfare, and to the removal of legal obstacles. The Malaysian government has ensured these factors through the establishment of Ministry of National Unity and Social Development in 1997. This was followed by the formation of the Women's Affairs Ministry in 2001 to recognise the roles and contributions of Malaysian women.

Domestic violence in India

Domestic violence in India includes any form of violence suffered by a person from a biological relative, but typically is the violence suffered by a woman by male members of her family or relatives. According to a National Family and Health Survey in 2005, total lifetime prevalence of domestic violence was 33.5% and 8.5% for sexual violence among women aged 15–49. A 2014 study in The Lancet reports that although the reported sexual violence rate in India is among the lowest in the world, the large population of India means that the violence affects 27.5 million women over their lifetimes. However, an opinion survey among experts carried out by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked India as the most dangerous country in the world for women.

Prosecution of gender-targeted crimes is the legal proceedings to prosecute crimes such as rape and domestic violence. The earliest documented prosecution of gender-based/targeted crimes is from 1474 when Sir Peter von Hagenbach was convicted for rapes committed by his troops. However, the trial was only successful in indicting Sir von Hagenbach with the charge of rape because the war in which the rapes occurred was "undeclared" and thus the rapes were considered illegal only because of this. Gender-targeted crimes continued to be prosecuted, but it was not until after World War II when an international criminal tribunal – the International Military Tribunal for the Far East – were officers charged for being responsible of the gender-targeted crimes and other crimes against humanity. Despite the various rape charges, the Charter of the Tokyo Tribunal did not make references to rape, and rape was considered as subordinate to other war crimes. This is also the situation for other tribunals that followed, but with the establishments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), there was more attention to the prosecution of gender-targeted crimes with each of the statutes explicitly referring to rape and other forms of gender-targeted violence.

Domestic violence is prominent in Nigeria as in many parts of Africa. There is a deep cultural belief in Nigeria that it is socially acceptable to hit a woman to discipline a spouse. Cases of Domestic violence is on the high and shows no signs of reduction in Nigeria, regardless of the age, tribe, religion or even social status. The CLEEN Foundation reports 1 in every 3 respondents admitting to being a victim of domestic violence. The survey also found a nationwide increase in domestic violence in the past 3 years from 21% in 2011 to 30% in 2013. A CLEEN Foundation's 2012 National Crime and Safety Survey demonstrated that 31% of the national sample confessed to being victims of domestic violence.

Domestic violence in Romania constitutes a social issue.

Violence against women in India Public health issue of violent acts against women

Violence against women in India refers to physical or sexual violence committed against a woman, typically by a man. Common forms of violence against women in India include acts such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, and murder. In order to be considered violence against women, the act must be committed solely because the victim is female. Most typically, these acts are committed by men as a result of the long-standing gender inequalities present in the country.

Domestic violence in Kenya constitutes any harmful behavior against a family member or partner, including rape, assault, physical abuse, and forced prostitution. Domestic violence in Kenya reflects worldwide statistics in that women are the overwhelming majority of victims. Over 40% of married women in Kenya have reported being victims of either domestic violence or sexual abuse. Worldwide, over 30% of "ever-partnered women" aged 15 and older have experienced physical or sexual partner violence. The distinct factors and causes of this high percentage have often not been studied due to lack of data.

Violence against women in New Zealand is described as the kinds of violence faced by women disproportionately to men due to factors of ongoing gender inequality in society. The New Zealand government and the New Zealand justice system view efforts to prevent and deal with violence against women as a priority of New Zealand legislation and the criminal justice system. There are current domestic laws relating to the prevention and punishment of violence against women, however, despite these efforts, women in New Zealand still face high levels of violence. New Zealand was ranked as worst for Domestic Violence compared to other OECD countries with 1 in 3 women estimated to have been a victim of violence in their lifetime.

Domestic violence in South Korea Domestic violence directed against women in South Korea

Domestic violence in South Korea is the mental, physical, verbal or sexual abuses or crimes of violence committed towards a victim in a domestic setting of marital relations and cohabitation. Domestic violence describes violence towards a domestic partner, towards children and between siblings. According to the Domestic Violence Survey of South Korea in 2010, elder abuse was estimated to be 10%, physical abuse accounted for 2.2%, emotional abuse 9%, economic abuse 1.2%, and neglect 2.5%. Marital violence has been the most prevalent form of family violence in South Korea. One out of six couples in South Korea had more than one episode of physical violence from their spouse.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas - Dokumento tekstas". 3.lrs.lt. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lithuania". Stopvaw.org. Archived from the original on 2018-10-07. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  3. ↑ Sebre, S.; Sprugevica, I.; Novotni, A.; Bonevski, D.; Pakalniskiene, V.; Popescu, D.; Turchina, T.; Friedrich, W.; Lewis, O. (Jan 2004). "Cross-cultural comparisons of child-reported emotional and physical abuse: rates, risk factors and psychosocial symptoms". Child Abuse. 28 (1): 113–127. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.06.004. PMID   15019442.
  4. ↑ Kabašinskaitė, Dalė; Bak, Maren (2006). "Lithuania's children's policy in the period of transition". International Journal of Social Welfare. 15 (3): 247–256. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2397.2006.00428.x.
  5. ↑ "Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Lithuania". State.gov. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  6. ↑ "Critical issues as regards the implementation of the UN CEDAW Convention in Lithuania : Submitted to the UN CEDAW Committee for consideration in relation to the examination of the Fifth periodic report of Lithuania" (PDF). Tbinternet.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  7. 1 2 "Domestic Violence Against Women" (PDF). Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  8. ↑ Dirk J. Bezemer (2006). "Poverty in Transition Countries" (PDF). Journal of Economics and Business. IX: 11/35. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  9. ↑ "Lithuania has the world's highest suicide rate". Vilnews.com. 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  10. ↑ "Statistics Explained". Epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu. 2016-03-31. Archived from the original on 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  11. ↑ "Domestic violence victim wins European Court of Human Rights case against Lithuania | en.15min.lt". 15min.lt. 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  12. ↑ "Lithuania held liable for failure to investigate effectively into complaints of domestic violence - European Women's Lobby". Womenlobby.org. 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  13. ↑ Gaydazhieva, Stanislava (2013-03-26). "Lithuania slammed for not investigating domestic violence". Neurope.eu. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
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