Over the past years, women in Russia have been subjected to severe violence, and shocking horror stories have occurred since criminal sanctions for domestic violence were abolished in February 2017. Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers and activists are working on a law that would criminalize domestic abuse, but Conservative reaction and legislative obstacles threaten to halt efforts before they begin. In 2010, the United Nations reported that, in Russia, a woman dies every 40 minutes, by a man.

In this context, Yulia Gorbunova, a researcher and jurist, said: "Domestic violence remains in Russia, and more often than not, it is seen as a private family matter." Follow-up: «The serious gaps in Russian laws, the lack of protection orders, and the lack of adequate response by the police and judiciary, make women who face severe physical violence, receive little or no protection.»

Last month, the Russian Ministry of Justice informed the European Court of Human Rights that the impact of domestic violence on Russian women was "greatly exaggerated". As a result, Oksana Pushkina, the State Duma, says that the official numbers are likely to be much lower than the reality. Popular anger at the recent gruesome events indicates a significant shift in Russian society. A petition was signed on the Internet, addressed to the Russian government, expressing the wrath of its signers over a person who killed his wife, weeks ago, and who kept his job despite the accusations against him. The petition collected more than 60,000 signatures.

Gorbunova said: The efforts of activists, NGOs, and other women's rights groups have been a major force in transforming people's thinking about domestic violence. Last October, lawmakers in the State Duma submitted a bill to repeal the 2017 law and re-criminalize domestic abuse. The law focuses on preventing ill-treatment before it occurs and also includes provisions in favor of women. This would include not only the actions of law enforcement agencies to identify and combat crime, but also to coordinate efforts and oversight, to prevent domestic violence.

But when the Federal Supreme Council published the text of the law, last week, the participants in its drafting were surprised at how different its language is from what they recommended. In this, one of the participants in the preparation of the bill, Aliona Popova, says "I am in complete terror", after publishing it. The activist criticized the law, because its purpose is to "save the family", rather than "protect the victim," and the aim is also to encourage reconciliation between the parties concerned.

During a protest in a Moscow park last month, red flags with the image of a Russian medieval warrior were raised, there were speakers critical of the bill, and organizers handed out leaflets showing what would happen if the law passed, and the negative effects on Russian society.

Vague definition

The expert, Ekaterina Shulman, said that the Federal Council on Domestic Violence definition is "very vague", in addition to that the provisions of its restraining orders do not include specific details about how long the aggressor remains away from the victim. "There is no concept of punishment, which we hope will finally appear in our legal legislation," she added. The council will open an open debate on the bill until December 15, allowing legislators, human rights groups, and other civil society groups to propose amendments. The co-author of the bill, Aliona Popova, and the rest of the authors involved in the bill said they were working to restore its original form.

60,000

They signed a petition addressed to the Russian government, expressing the wrath of its signers over someone who killed his wife.