Covid-19 Regulation by Judicial Body will 'Increase Male Violence'

"Implement the İstanbul Convention" (Photo: bianet)

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A new regulation on the implementation of the law on the violence against women due to the new coronavirus pandemic may increase male violence, a lawyer has warned.

In Article 10 of an official letter titled, "Additional Measures as Part of Covid-19," the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) states that "Cautionary decisions as part of Law No 6284 should be evaluated in a way that does not threaten the health of obligors."

According to Law No 6284, protective measures, including restraint orders can be taken when women who are subjected to violence apply to law enforcement agencies.

Lawyer Selin Nakıpoğlu says the article is "quite problematic" as the incomplete implementation of the law will increase violence on women and feminicides.

"In such a period where women have to share the same homes with those who inflict violence, this decision of the HSK will cause restraint orders against those who inflict violence not to be implemented," she says.

"The regulation in Article 10 is so open-ended that it could be understood that 'It would be okay if you don't enforce the law, it is better that you don't issue a restraint order during the Covid-19 outbreak'," the lawyer says, adding that there are already many people who tend to interpret the law in this way.

The preventive imprisonment of three to 10 days for those violate cautionary decisions would also not be implemented because of the new regulation, according to Nakıpoğlu.

"I don't know whether the HSK members are aware of this, but women are mostly killed by those whom they live together in the same house, their husbands, boyfriends, ex-partners. Sixty percent of women who lost their lives due to male violence are killed in their homes.

"You can't stop applying Law No 6284, you can't attempt to bend it, you can't take open-ended decisions that leave the implementation of the law to discretion of decision-makers and enforcers, you can't make a regulation that takes the health of those who inflict violence while preventing women and children from protecting against male violence.

"You cannot make us accept a regulation that will cause children to be left alone against male violence. Are you aware of how many women and child's lives will be put in danger with this article?"

Saying that the article should be withdrawn, Nakıpoğlu listed questions "that should be answered by authorities":

• Has there been an increase in the calls to 183 Social Support Line?
• What percentage of these calls are related to violence? What types of violence are they?
• What measures were taken about incoming calls?
• Are there requests to be placed in shelters? How many? How were these requests answered?
• We often receive complaints from women who have been subjected to digital violence, do you have data on this?
• Why is there no statement from the relevant minister? (EMK/VK)

Click for the full text of the Law No 6284 on Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women