OSCE launches seminar series on preventing domestic violence in Kazakhstan

ASTANA, 27 March 2014 – A two-day training seminar for police inspectors and officers on trends and challenges in preventing domestic violence, co-organized by the OSCE Centre with the Interior Ministry of Kazakhstan, began today in Astana.

The training event aims to increase the capacity of police inspectors of the Ministry’s division in charge of women’s protection against violence as well as to enhance the knowledge and improve skills of police officers to investigate and counter domestic violence.

It is the first of five OSCE-supported training seminars for police inspectors planned for this year in all the country’s regions. The next events will take place in Atyrau, Kokshetau, Shymkent and Ust-Kamenogorsk.

During the seminars some 200 district police officers from across Kazakhstan will discuss with their colleagues from other law enforcement agencies and local courts a comprehensive approach towards combating and preventing this social evil.

They will learn good practices from city court judges and prosecutors in reviewing administrative domestic violence cases and challenging aspects of proof in courts. Together with experts from non-governmental organizations, they will also identify effective ways to implement recently adopted legislative amendments on issues related to countering domestic violence.

“The adoption in 2009 of the Law "On the Prevention of Domestic Violence" was a milestone in raising awareness of this problem,” said Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana. “Recent changes and amendments to the current national legislation on countering domestic violence have toughened penalties for offenses in the sphere of family relations and laid the foundation for their effective prevention.”

Igor Lepekha, the head of the Administrative Police of the Ministry of Interior, said: “Since Kazakhstan gained independence, our police and law enforcement system has undergone a progressive transformation, highlighting our willingness and ability to provide quality public services to the population. We consider law enforcement activities as a set of specific public services aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence.”

The event is part of the Centre’s long-term activities on preventing and combatting domestic violence.