site.btaMethodological Guidelines for Police Actions In Accordance with Changes in Protection against Domestic Violence Act Imposed

Methodological guidelines for the actions of police authorities in cases of domestic violence are currently in force, said Deputy Minister of Interior Ivelina Dundakova at a briefing at the Council of Ministers after a meeting with PM Denkov on Thursday, where measures to tackle the problem were discussed.

The methodological instructions detail the actions at each stage - from receiving the signal to visiting the site, talking to the victims and working with the perpetrators, Dundakova clarified, adding that these guidelines will be adapted to the new changes in the Protection against Domestic Violence Act, which came into force on August 1. 

The Deputy Minister pointed out that the National Police General Directorate is the leading structure in the Ministry of Interior. The Directorate has already established a Domestic Violence Sector, which carries out methodological work with the district coordinates. For at least 10 years, all regional directorates have had coordinators for prevention and protection from domestic violence, Dundakova said. She said efforts were also aimed at encouraging survivors of domestic violence to report what had happened to the competent authorities. 

Dundakova highlighted as an important step in the fight against violence the work of the expert council for the creation of an automated information system on domestic and gender-based violence. According to her, the aim is to incorporate all cases of violence into a single portal. 

She said that the Interior Ministry, along with the Justice Ministry and lawyer councils, are working on a memorandum for effective cooperation.

The occasion for the Thursday work meeting was the task given by PM Denkov to the Ministers to identify mechanisms that are not working to deal with violence in the spheres under their control and to point out ways to improve them.