Within the framework of developing cooperation with institutions, another meeting was held, this time with senior court officials from the Košice courts, as well as with a judge of the Košice I District Court. We initiated the meeting because we wanted to learn more about how the courts take into account the experience of intimate partner violence in proceedings concerning minor children and the regulation of rights and obligations towards them.
We learned that in procedures aimed at reaching a parental agreement, the courts in Košice take it into account when women mention an experience of violence in the actual petition for divorce and for the modification of rights and obligations towards the children.
We also discussed how we work with women experiencing violence and other victims of domestic violence in our counselling and intervention centre, and how, in our experience, changes in the practice of courts and child protection authorities in the family law area affect the situation and safety of women experiencing violence and their children.
We also talked about the comments and proposals that we have recently submitted to the inter-ministerial comment procedures for some important laws, such as the Family Law, the Civil Procedure Code, the Criminal Law, and the Law on Victims of Crime.
At the meeting, we also offered the senior court officials to participate in the meeting of the Working Group for the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women in Košice and the opportunity of becoming a member. We look forward to possible further cooperation.
The project „We stand with women. We protect and support them!“ benefits from a 486 622 € grant from Norway through the Norway Grants. The project has been co-financed from the State Budget of the Slovak Republic in the amount of 72 993 €.
The aim of the project is to increase availability of specialist counselling centres for women – survivors of intimate partner violence and their children in Kosice region by enhancing and increasing the quality of support services in the existing counselling centres in Košice, Michalovce and Spišská Nová Ves and establishing new counselling centres in Rožňava, Gelnica and Sobrance. At the same time, our aim is to make information about the counselling centres and help and support they provide more available to women in Košice region and to improve the response of institutions where women and children seek protection from violence.
The project is implemented by Fenestra in partnership with OZ HANA and OZ Pomoc rodine.
More about the project: https://www.fenestra.sk/en/we-stand-with-women/
The content of this article is the responsibility of Fenestra, OZ Hana and OZ Pomoc rodine. The programme administrator is not responsible for any information contained in this article.
