No Breakthrough In Hungary After Domestic Violence Criminalised
- 14 May 2014 9:00 AM
The criminalisation of domestic violence under the new penal code has brought about no breakthrough in the reporting of instances despite the high expectations of civil groups which lobbied for stricter rules, daily Magyar Hírlap said. An amendment to the penal code parliament passed last summer defines violence against family members or a former spouse or partner as a standalone crime.
Such violence is handled as a crime whether it takes place during cohabitation or after separation and is punishable with a sentence of one and five years.
According to latest data provided to the paper by the chief prosecutor’s office, there have been a number of reports filed with the authorities and cases of indictment, as well as sentencing. But combined statistics compiled by police and prosecution show that procedures had been brought in only 20 cases launched under the related new provision of the penal code in 2013.
According to the prosecution’s data, courts handed down final sentences in two cases in 2013 and in three in 2014, the paper said.
The paper said that civil rights groups had noted a high degree of recidivism, which, it appears, has remained unchanged.
Source www.hungarymatters.hu
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