Problematic aspects of defining a child as a victim of domestic violence

Abstract

The article focuses on the issues of ensuring the rights of a child who has witnessed domestic violence. It has been noted that if police officers draw up procedural documents improperly, in particular, a protocol on an administrative offence, the child will not be granted the official status of a victim. It has been proved that there is a significant difference between such concepts as “domestic violence committed in the presence of a child” and “a child who witnessed (eyewitnessed) domestic violence”. It has been concluded that when drawing up a report on an administrative offence, a police officer must take into account the age characteristics of a child and his/her ability to fully realise and understand the events that have taken place.

It has been noted that due to the lack of proper legal regulation in domestic legislation of the procedure for documenting the facts of domestic violence witnessed by a child, there is a problem of closing administrative proceedings in courts due to the absence of an offence or due to insignificance. It has been noted that if a child who has witnessed domestic violence does not have the status of a victim, he or she cannot be fully provided with the assistance provided by law.

It has been pointed out that the presence of a child who was aware of this during the commission of domestic violence is its psychological form. It has been emphasised that this form of domestic violence requires proof of the consequences, so it is important to involve a psychologist for further mandatory attachment of a specialist’s opinion on the child’s psychological state to the administrative offence case file.

It has been substantiated that in order to ensure the best interests of a child who has witnessed domestic violence, a police officer should draw up two separate reports on administrative offences under Art. 173-2 of the Code of Administrative Offences: the first for committing domestic violence against an adult, and the second for committing the said act in the presence of a child (provided that the latter was aware of this fact). At the same time, the police officer must notify the police station of such an event in order to enter information into the register of unified statements and reports of criminal offences and other events.