The Russian Communities Reaction to Domestic Violence Victims
In the Russian Government and in the minds of a great portion of the nation, domestic violence and family values aren’t far from the same. Most believe that hitting a spouse, child, or elderly person is not violence, but it is an aspect of being head of household which is said to be the position of a man. Part of the reason the Slapping Law was so favored was because people felt it was too easy to be jailed for slapping a child that is/isn’t yours and people who disobey in the household. A poll held by the state funded group VTsIOM recorded that 19% of the 1800 polled said some violence was acceptable. Though the percentage is just 19%, that is still three hundred an forty-two people that believe some domestic abuse is okay when the number should be zero.
The bill was passed with over 380 votes to 3 in the Duma- so you could say that in the Russian government there are many who still believe in the Russian traditionalist values.
Yelena Mizulina is the politician, a woman, that drafted this law because she felt domestic abuse did not equal what they criminalized abusers for. She claims to Parliament that “in Russian traditional families, the relationship between parents and their children is built on authority and power.”
She and many others use ‘traditional values’ as a way of saying they want to keep police out of private family affairs. An issue many are concerned about in Russia because traditional families can be so rough.
It is clear that these values are seen in the police force as well. In many cases, when a woman is beaten and goes to the police they may tell her there isn’t much they can do without evidence other than her marks or they may call her husband to pick her up.
The police would be of no help here and cast her off as a joke.
“If you get killed, we will definitely come to examine the body.[.] Don’t worry.” Is an actual statement from one of the police officers after Yana was found dead, killed by the man the police weren’t worried about.
This just so happens to be one of the cases that really shook Russia in 2016 and it sparked a much needed conversation about the fact that there aren’t proper procedures in place for instances as this. One anonymous officer confirming saying, When I respond to domestic violence, I often feel useless because I can’t arrest the abuser without the victim’s written complaint,[…] We don’t have a procedure of compulsory arrest.”
This even sparked more to be researched in Russia. Research shows that 12,000 women are killed annually in Russia as a result of domestic violence. One women every forty minutes and that isn’t counting the thousands of woman who don’t even attempt to get help or call the police.
The room for domestic violence to grow in Russia is vast because of the bill, but not everyone is in favor.
While there isn’t much tolerance for feminist groups in Russia, they’ve still made their presence known. Pussy Riot activists, along with others, marched on International Women’s Day in part to protest the law.
There are also shelters for women who are abused to escape to with their children in Russia, but not a huge number of them-and they aren’t all government funded. There are few woman shelters that are government funded and obtaining information on them is difficult.
This idea of a traditional family system has ruined Russia’s many chances at protecting women. It is believed by so any that power is to be enforced to prove that the parents or husband is in charge, a very traditional Russian family ideal. Many will tell you that is is sometimes vital to hit a child or a woman in order to establish law of house.
No one should have to be abused mentally or physically by their family.
The Russian people seem to think that it’s not domestic violence if it is happening within the family, but victims of domestic violence and those being abused will tell you that that is not the case.
In the USA domestic violence is not non-existent, but we have more laws. In the last 20 years domestic violence has gone down 60% because of the teamwork of politicians, lawmakers, and the police. If the USA, with a population of over 7 billion, can figure out something to help establish Domestic laws and protect woman, why can’t Russia whose population is less than half of that at only a little but over 143 million?
Maybe taking a look at how the USA handles there DOmestic violence laws would be a good start for Russia. Passed in 1994 and added to in 1996, congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”). The act made it so that domestic violence was seen across the board as a national crime. So no matter where is starts, the crime can be that of a federal offense. This also made it a federal crime for domestic abusers in certain situation to own guns.
The USA even makes information on how to get hep more accessible. One easy search on the internet and you can be brought back with hundred of hotlines and lawyers who fight for the rights of those that have been abused.
One of the issues hurting the progression of better protection for woman in abusive relationships is the amount of woman that don’t speak up. It’s hard to come forward, but giving them places and options to where they feel comfortable enough to come out about their experiences is the key.
