Moldova’s police have gained direct access to the electronic monitoring system for domestic violence perpetrators, while authorities are preparing new procedures to ensure that information about risks to victims reaches the responsible institutions more quickly. The measures were announced during public hearings on preventing and combating violence against women and femicide, organized by the Women MPs’ Platform, IPN reports.
Mihai Gheorghieș, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, said that the General Inspectorate of Police can now directly track information and alerts generated by the system. The data are simultaneously accessible to the police and probation authorities, eliminating one step in the transmission of alerts.
The Ministry of Justice is also reviewing procedures for situations in which a monitoring device loses its signal, malfunctions or is damaged. Authorities are proposing that the victim be informed immediately in such cases, as well as when the perpetrator crosses the state border.
If a perpetrator leaves the country, authorities are examining a mechanism for cooperation with the Border Police so that monitoring can be resumed after the person returns to the Republic of Moldova, without their departure from the country interrupting the protection measures.
At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is proposing to integrate the procedures of the institutions involved into a common system for managing serious cases. Sergiu Bejan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, stressed the need for regular risk assessments, as recidivism remains one of the problems encountered in domestic violence cases.
According to data presented during the hearings, approximately 7,000 domestic violence perpetrators come to the attention of the prevention and monitoring system each year. Currently, around 4,000 people are registered with law enforcement authorities.